


Revival

by Jedi_Olympian



Series: Kenobi Legacy Series [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Poe Dameron (Comics)
Genre: Abandonment, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Daddy Issues, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Fix-It, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Kylo Ren Redemption, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Past Character Death, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Skywalker Family Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 81,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jedi_Olympian/pseuds/Jedi_Olympian
Summary: The Empire is gone, but a new evil has taken hold of the galaxy. Kaleena and Luke's children carry on through the Resistance to hopefully finish the fight their parents had started but against their own cousin, Kylo Ren.While Handmaiden isn't required to understand this story, Legacy almost most definitely is, so please read that first.
Relationships: Finn (Star Wars)/Original Male Character(s), Jessika Pava/Rey, Karé Kun/Temmin "Snap" Wexley, Poe Dameron/Original Female Character(s), Wedge Antilles/Norra Wexley
Series: Kenobi Legacy Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937962
Comments: 14
Kudos: 20





	1. Anguish

**Author's Note:**

> This story will mostly center around Karena, but Kelin will still be heavily involved, so don't worry about that. A decent portion of this story will have retconned sequel trilogy aspects, so if it's not going according to the movies, that's the point. And it's definitely not a slow burn, even if it has a few slow-burn elements, because that doesn't match Poe at all.
> 
> For faceclaims we have Nicola Peltz as Karena and Sebastian Stan as Kelin if anyone cares about that sorta thing.
> 
> I wanted to list my resources for inspiration regarding this being a fix-it fic so you all could view them too if you so choose or are interested. In addition to the things listed below, my own changes and ideas will be mixed in with some things kept from the movies too, so it's not like they're completely thrown out, just reworked.  
> YT: Why Rey is a Mary Sue and Luke Skywalker is Not by Literature Devil  
> YT: Rewriting the Entire Disney Star Wars Sequel Trilogy by Cardinal West  
> YT: Film Fix - The Star Wars Sequels by Center Row  
> YT: How Star Wars The Last Jedi Should Have Ended by HISHE  
> YT: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Bombers. The Worst Spaceships EVER! by Robot Head  
> Doc: Colin Treverrow's Duel of the Fates script

28 ABY

The air reeked of blood, burning flesh, and ash as droids and sentients sifted through the rubble of the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV. Spirits were low with each uncovered corpse. Students and masters alike had been killed due to the explosions, fires, and falling debris. So many lives had been taken, and for what? Because a pupil had been manipulated? Even with the hopelessness permeating the air, not all was lost.

The two Skywalker children were still alive.

The pieced-together seeker droid Gray watched over them as their dutiful guard as they slept, bacta patches and synthskin covering their wounds to help with the healing process. A medical droid replaced Kelin's missing hand with a cybernetic while he was still unconscious as the process would be painful if he had been awake. The gash across Karena's stomach was deep enough to leave a scar despite the bacta and kolto treatments, but at least she had survived it.

The twins woke up in pain, both physical and mental. But where Kelin began immediately asking questions and trying to get up, Karena stayed on her infirmary bed, staring up at the plain white ceiling of the medical bay, devoid of any emotion and thinking over the events that landed them wounded.

The medical droid began going over the cybernetic with Kelin and informing him of his injuries when it was obvious that was the only way Kelin was going to relax on his bed.

The human doctor had tried to talk to Karena while applying a new layer of synthskin over her abdomen, but once it became clear that Karena wasn't paying attention to a word she said, the doctor gave up, finished laying down the synthskin, and went to get the person who brought in the twins.

When Hobbie walked in, Karena perked up, feeling his Force signature before she even saw him. She tried to push herself up into a seated position, but Hobbie placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "No, don't," he told her gently. "You'll worsen your injuries."

"I don't care," she replied, her voice gravelly and strained. She hadn't spoken since she woke up and hadn't touched the cup of water on the table beside her. "I want to know what happened after we-" She cut herself off, unable to finish her sentence. _After we were beaten_.

Hobbie looked at the young woman with his sad blue eyes, trying not to tear up. He wanted to stay strong for them. "Leia is on her way here and should be here shortly. You should rest up." He then began taking a few steps back and turned around.

"No, Uncle Hobbie," Karena tried, but Hobbie left the room.

He couldn't do it. He thought he could, but he couldn't. He couldn't be in a room with the twins who looked so much like their parents and not break down. Leia had asked him not to tell them what happened to Kal and Luke, but how could he look at their faces and not tell them?

Karena and Kelin could feel Hobbie's anguish from inside the room as the older pilot leaned against the wall outside. The twins turned to each other. They knew something was wrong, seriously wrong. They had a feeling about what it was, but they prayed to the Force they were wrong, too. They feared they were right when they couldn't feel the Force signatures belonging to their parents anywhere near them.

* * *

Leia arrived fifteen minutes later. Han and Wedge had stayed with the excavation team being joined by a few other friends, and Boba continued to look after Kal's body. The group had decided it best for the twins to see their Aunt Leia to receive the news as she was the only one not on the verge of breaking down. Even Boba couldn't do it. He couldn't go into the room and see their heartbroken faces and tell them their mother had died and their father was missing. So, the men stayed on Yavin IV to continue overseeing the excavation of the ruins, staying with Kal's body.

The door slid shut behind Leia, and she walked over between the beds to look at both of them. The twins leaned back on their respective beds looking up at their aunt expectantly. She hated seeing them injured. And she hated knowing it was her son who did it.

"How are you two doing?" Leia asked. Neither Kelin nor Karena made an effort to answer the question, their expressions not budging. They're the ones who needed an answer. Leia sighed and shifted her footing before raising her chin. It would be better if she left emotion out of the news. "We didn't find your father's body amongst the rubble, but your mother. . . she was stabbed through her stomach by Ben and didn't make it. I'm sorry."

Karena's jaw tightened, and she looked away, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She had assumed, but now she had confirmation. Master Kaleena Kenobi-Skywalker had died. Karena's mother had died. She had died because of Ben. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry, but that went against everything she had learned.

 _Emotion is natural, but don't let it consume you_. Ben had let it consume him.

Kelin, on the other hand, was more angry than saddened. Karena was angry, so incredibly angry, but the anger wasn't a part of her mourning. It was a part of Kelin's, though.

"He abandoned us. That's what you're not saying, right?" Kelin asked, sitting up fully on his bed, not focusing on their dead mother. "He abandoned us. Go ahead and say it. I mean, who else would've clued you in to what had happened?" He threw his hands up and slammed back onto the pillow behind him, shaking his head and shaking. "Dad's not dead, but he is gone." Kelin scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He couldn't even bother to see if we were alright?"

"Kel, I'm sure Luke-" Leia started to say, but Karena cut her off. Leia had expected Kelin to, but it was Karena instead.

"Don't, Auntie," Karena said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Whatever our dad was thinking is not yours to excuse."

"Damn right, it's not," Kelin agreed. "Self-imposed exile because he's taking all the blame for himself: that's what he was thinking. We all know it. But that doesn't excuse leaving us behind." He sighed, taking in a deep breath. "We were all to blame. We should've seen it coming, and now Mom's dead."

Leia took a few steps forward, intending to take her nephew's hand in hers. "Kelin-"

"He's right, Auntie," Karena interrupted again. "We've always known Ben was angry, but we were too focused on our own lives to do anything about it. We could've helped him more. We could've reached out to him when he pulled away. We could've done something."

Leia used the Force to call a chair over to her. Sitting between her niece and nephew, she took their hands. "Now, listen to me, both of you. None of this is your fault. None of it. And I won't listen to you blame yourselves." A fond smile spread across her face as she thought to the past. "You three were inseparable. I used to watch you play as children. I would just sit there and smile at the three of you running around with sticks or the droids. Ben always had the biggest smile. He loved having his cousins around. Han would disappear in the _Falcon_ with Chewie sometimes, and I'd be busy with the Senate, but you two always made him feel included and loved. You did all you could. I regret not being around as much as I should've been, and that's why he was angry. He was angry at me and Han. It was nothing you could've fixed, so don't you dare think it. Understood?"

The twins nodded in sync and said, "Yes, Auntie."

* * *

A few hours later, with the blessing of the doctor, Kelin and Karena were allowed to return to Yavin IV on the condition they wouldn't be doing any heavy lifting or any strenuous activity and would return to the medical station when they were done. Neither Skywalker particularly liked the orders, but they agreed.

The moment Kelin and Karena disembarked planetside, they buried themselves in Boba's arms under the moonlight. The bounty hunter held them close, like a lifeline. Holding them, he finally had the urge to cry. And he did beneath the helmet, a few tears sliding down his cheeks. They were safe. Kal's kids were safe.

When they pulled out of the embrace, Karena asked, "Where is she?"

"On my ship," Boba answered. The medical frigate had left to take the few survivors to a medical station about an hour prior, and he hadn't wanted Kal to be taken with, so he moved her to her old bunk aboard his ship to wait for Kelin and Karena to arrive. "I made a pyre for when you're ready."

"Can you take us to her?" Kelin requested. Boba nodded and led them to the _Slave 1_.

Kal's cold hands were folded over the wound in her abdomen. Her hair laid behind her like a crown. Not a speck of dirt or grime was on her skin.

Kelin and Karena knelt beside their dead mother, and Kelin finally broke. Tears spilled carelessly from his eyes as he draped himself over Kal's legs. "Mom, no, no," he whimpered as he cried.

Karena ran a hand through her brother's hair as she stared at her mom's serene face. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her mom peaceful. It almost didn't suit her, but she deserved to be at peace. Finally seeing Kal's body, Karena's anger overcame her sadness, like the sadness had won out over Kelin's anger. Kal had died too early, too young.

"Kel, we should. . ." Karena trailed off, still staring at Kal's face. She couldn't make herself say it. How could she? She wasn't ready to let her mom go. They were too young. All of them. They weren't ready for a life without Kal and Luke. They were only twenty-four. What were they going to do without their parents?

Kelin pried himself away, nodding and wiping the tears away. "Yeah, we should." He knew what his sister meant. They had to burn the body. A Jedi wasn't buried. They received a funeral pyre. They both stood and backed away.

Boba, who had been standing in the doorway, moved through them and gathered Kal in his arms again, for the last time. He led the way to the pyre, Kelin and Karena following close behind.

The others, upon seeing the three exit the ship, went into the jungle with them.

Boba set Kal on top of the wooden pyre, laying her body out straight, refolding her hands, and fixing her hair. Wedge and Snap readied two torches for the twins, wrapping old rags around the end of two sticks and lighting them on fire.

Before the twins moved to take the torches, Boba stopped in front of them. He unclipped Kal's lightsaber from his belt and took her mother's necklace from a pouch then held them out to Kelin and Karena. "She'd want you to have these," he told them quietly. He placed the lightsaber in Karena's hand and the necklace in Kelin's, knowing who Kal would've passed them on to: the weapon to the martial Karena, and the Force crystal to the introspective Kelin.

They gave their Grandpa Boba sad but grateful smiles and held on tight to the last of Kal's personal effects. They would cherish the items forever. Boba took a step back to join the line around the pyre. Wedge and Snap handed Kelin and Karena the torches.

The Skywalker twins stepped up to the pyre on either end of it, glancing back at the memorial crowd.

Han had wrapped his arm around Leia, holding her tight in his arms. They weren't just mourning the death of a friend or sister or a missing brother, they were mourning the fall of their son to the Dark Side. They were in a world of hurt and agony.

Wedge's wife, Norra Wexley, who had made the trip the moment she found out from her son Snap, held his hand to provide as much comfort as she could, but it helped very little. She knew Wedge had seen Kal as his best friend, almost like a sister, and for Kal to be taken away as she had, it wasn't the same as losing a colleague in a firefight. Snap stood on the other side of Norra, her arm wrapped around him. He hadn't known Kal all too well, but she had always been kind to him.

On Wedge's other side was Hobbie so close to delving into tears again. He kept replaying memories of Kal in his head: particularly her saving him. It left him hollow and alone.

Lando and Chewie stood beside each other. Lando knew Kal very little aside from a professional standpoint, but Luke was missing, too. He couldn't believe it. It seemed as though everything was going to shit around them. Chewie had already howled his grief when he had arrived on Yavin IV, but he wanted to do it again and again and again until it stopped hurting no matter how much he knew it wouldn't help.

Sabine wanted to blast something. Ezra had barely survived whatever had happened to the temple thanks to Kal, and he had been taken away on the medical frigate. Ezra surviving was the only reason Sabine wasn't blasting everything she could. That and Hera's presence.

Hera and Jacen had made the trip, too. Jacen had felt the disturbance in the Force when it happened. He had felt the deaths of his mentor and peers. But Kal had been more than a mentor. She had practically been his mother when he was away from Hera. He remembered listening to her stories about his father and would cherish those memories always. Hera kept thinking about how much death she had seen and been around. She couldn't take it. She thought it was over. She was angry, too.

Which left Boba, who had seen Kal go from an impatient teenager who had much to learn into a strong woman who went on to make a difference in the universe. He thought of her as his own daughter, and no parent should ever outlive their child. He swore to the heavens that he would look after the children she had left behind.

Kelin and Karena turned back to face the pyre, and their eyes caught glimpse of a shimmering blue deep in the jungle in front of them. Their eyes locked onto the translucent figure, someone they recognized from holorecordings: Obi-Wan Kenobi, their grandfather. He nodded solemnly at the twins, and they knew it was time.

Together, they lowered the torches, setting them next to Kal. They stepped back as the wood caught fire, sparks and flames rising towards the night sky. Kal's body disappeared before it could be caught ablaze like her Jedi clothing. She had become one with the Force.

"She must've had some unfinished business," Han said quietly to Leia, rubbing her arm.

"I think I know what it was," she replied. Leia looked at the twins who were holding each other as they watched the pyre burn.

Kal wanted to make sure her kids were safe and in good hands. And they were. They were surrounded by people who loved and cared for them, even with their mom dead and their dad missing. They were going to be okay. That's what Kal had wanted to know. Even dead, Kal was going to do her best to look after her children. She wanted only the best for them.

Beyond the fire, Kelin and Karena watched as another figure emerged next to Obi-Wan. The new figure, tall and slender, smiled at them and took Obi-Wan's hand. Kal had been reunited with her dad. After the long years without him to guide her due to her personal issues, she greeted him as an old friend, happy to finally be with him once more.

As the Force ghosts disappeared, Kelin and Karena looked at each other, then at the lightsaber and necklace in their hands. They were thinking the same thing: vengeance.

Even if it was the last thing they did, the Skywalker twins were going to find their cousin. They were going to find Ben Solo and bring him to justice. They were going to right the wrongs he had done to their family. They didn't care what it took. They didn't care what he said or tried to do. They were going to avenge everyone who had died. They were going to avenge their mother.

* * *

As if the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Yavin IV wasn't enough, Leia left the Senate.

Leia's parentage had been outed prior to the fall of the New Jedi Order. The entire galaxy knew she was the daughter of Darth Vader. She had been nominated for First Senator when Ransolm Casterfo, Leia's friend, revealed her parentage in a Senate hearing. Leia had no choice but to confirm it when Casterfo presented Leia's old keepsake chest and music box from her childhood as evidence.

Before she resigned as Senator, Leia organized a private meeting in the Senatorial complex hangar bay on Hosnian Prime, inviting some of the people in the New Republic military who were still on her side. It was attended by Joph Seastriker, Greer Sonnel, Nien Nunb, Caluan Ematt, retired admiral Gial Ackbar, Harter Kalonia, Snap Wexley, and Zari Bangel.

The Galactic Senate was too preoccupied with petty squabbles to defend the New Republic, so Princess Leia became General Organa as she announced the formation of a new paramilitary organization. The Resistance was born.

And Kelin and Karena Skywalker were going to be damned if they weren't a part of it. They had business to take care of. Once they were done healing, that is.


	2. Once Upon a Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback chapter, so pay attention to the years at the start of each section, though to be fair the years should always be paid attention.

10 ABY

At six years old, Karena and Kelin loved to have fun. They loved to run and play and climb and hide. They especially loved doing it with their cousin Ben who was five.

A voice rang out through the halls of the _Millennium Falcon_. "One, two, three, four, five," the voice counted, echoing so everyone in the ship could hear.

Three small kids ran about trying to find somewhere to hide, giggling as they went. Karena went to the cockpit. Kelin went to the engine room. Ben went to the crew's quarters. Each hid as best they could in the spot they chose. All doors remained open, so there was no cheating by using sound.

When Han reached fifty, Chewie howled as loud as he could, signaling the start of the search. The captain and the co-pilot got up from their spots around the dejarik table and went off in search of the children. They both already knew where each of them would be. They didn't particularly have creative hiding spots, often choosing the same one over and over again, and each one pretty much symbolized what the kid really wanted.

Karena wanted to fly. Kelin wanted to learn. Ben wanted to love.

"Hm, now, Chewie, where could they possibly be?" Han asked loudly as the two walked together. Chewie let out a growl. "You're right, pal. There's no way a kid could fit under the bed. But I better double-check." Han ducked down quickly with a goofy grin to see his son laying under the bed in the crew's quarters.

Ben laughed at the funny face Han pulled and let himself be pulled out by the Wookiee. The last time they had played, Han and Chewie had 'found' him last, so that time he was found first.

They then slowly moved on to the engine room where they found Kelin hiding behind a crate of spare parts. "Gotcha!" Han exclaimed, hoisting his nephew up by his underarms before passing him off to the Wookiee. The best part about being found was riding on Chewie's shoulders.

Finally, they went to the cockpit. Han looked at his son and nephew with a playful grin and tapped his chin in fake contemplation. "Hm, I wonder where Karena is?" He bent down to see underneath the dashboard. "There she is!"

Karena squealed in excitement and dashed out of her spot into her uncle's waiting arms. Han picked her up, placing her on his hip.

Just another day of playing in the _Falcon_.

* * *

11 ABY

It had been a few months since the New Jedi Order had begun accepting students. Grand Master Luke Skywalker slowly walked around the yard of the disciples who hadn't been trained in the Force as a few of the older ones had already been before they arrived.

"Good, all of you," Luke praised as all of the students were able to lift fist-sized rocks using the Force. "Let the Force flow through you. It's everywhere. To it, a stone in the air feels the same as a stone on the ground. Let it show you that truth. There is no difference, no difference at all."

Kelin breathed deeply, focusing solely on the Force around him and in him. He felt it imbue him with energy, and with it, he could feel all life.

Karena, who sat next to her brother, was quickly growing bored. She didn't want to sit there and lift rocks with her mind. She wanted to hit her brother with a stick and actually be allowed to as part of their lightsaber combat training.

Luke could feel the growing agitation in his daughter, but just as he was about to walk over and set a calming hand on her shoulder to silently urge her to relax and have patience, he spotted Kelin reaching over with his own hand, taking his sister's hand in his. Luke felt the difference through the Force immediately.

Kelin was helping his sister calm her mind. Kelin had sensed her feelings through the Force before anyone else had, even Luke. But he'd never let his sister go through anything alone since they were more than siblings, they were twins, two halves of the same whole. The Force bonded them in ways others could only dream of.

It was a bond Dark Side users would love to exploit or break.

* * *

15 ABY

Ben Solo had just arrived at the Jedi Praxeum. On either side of him were Kelin and Karena holding his hands and taking him from room to room.

"Here's where we'll practice meditation," Kelin said in one room.

"Here's where we practice combat," came from Karena in another room. "But only basics. Anything harder is outside."

"And here's where we'll eat as a group."

"And here's where we study engineering."

"And here's where we study the planets and solar systems."

Ben smiled at everything his cousins showed him. He was so excited to finally start training with them at the temple. He had always been jealous whenever he saw them because his parents didn't want him going away to train yet, but he was finally there! It was like he was seeing the temple for the first time.

Kelin opened a room in the personal quarter's wing, and the twins dragged Ben inside. "You should sleep in this room," Kelin said.

"Yeah, you'll be right next to us," Karena added. "We can do everything together."

"Promise?" Ben asked.

Kelin and Karena nodded with matching grins. "Promise."

* * *

20 ABY

Karena woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily as her chest rose up and down. Looking around her room, she reached for the lamp on her bedside table and switched it on. Nothing in her room had moved. Her folded Jedi robes were still on the chair since she hadn't put them away yet. Her lightsaber still sat next to her lamp and comlink. Her two pairs of boots hadn't moved an inch. The door was still closed and locked.

But it had felt like someone was in the room.

Shaking her head and rubbing her face, Karena used the Force to help relax herself. It was just a vision. It wasn't real.

As Karena was about to turn off her lamp and lay back down, someone knocked on the metal door. Karena threw her blanket of her and stood up from the bed. She straightened out her pajamas as she walked to the door and pressed the button. The hatch slid open to reveal her brother on the other side looking just as exhausted as she did. Karena furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at him. He stood two inches taller than her and was almost the spitting image of a young Luke Skywalker.

"What's wrong, Kel?" Karena asked. "What are you doing up?"

Kelin gestured to the room behind her. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Karena took a step out of the way and her brother walked in, making a beeline for her bed like he had done when they were kids. To be fair, they still were kids. They were only sixteen. But something had reverted Kelin back to a habit he hadn't done since they were twelve: crawling into bed with his twin for comfort.

Kelin crawled onto the bed and sat with his back against the wall. Karena closed the door and joined him, sitting next to Kelin and facing him. She patted the knee he had folded under him. "What's wrong?" Karena asked.

Kelin picked at the blanket, not making eye contact. "I-I've been having visions lately," he murmured. Karena almost hadn't heard him. "They're pretty bad, and I don't know what to do."

"I've been having them, too."

Kelin finally looked up, his eyes wide. "You have?"

"There's a voice, right?" Karena asked, wringing her hands. "Deep, hoarse, male?" Kelin nodded. "And when you woke up, did it feel like there had been someone in the room with you?"

Nodding again, Kelin sighed. "What are we seeing?"

"I don't know, but. . . but it scares me, Kel."

Kelin moved and took his sister in his arms, holding her close. "Me too, Ren. Me too."

"Should we. . . should we ask Mom?" Karena asked quietly against his chest. "I don't know how much longer I can take seeing so much pain. And the anger. . . the anger isn't even mine."

"We'll talk to her tomorrow. Can I stay here tonight?"

"I'd like that."

Together, the two laid down on the bed. Kelin laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Karena laid on her side, running her hand through her brother's hair. It was as soothing to him as it was to her. They kept the lamp on, in silent fear the visions would return if they turned it off.

As Karena played with Kelin's hair, she sang a lullaby their mom used to sing to them. Kal had claimed her mother had sung it as well, so whenever the twin Skywalkers were feeling stressed or down, Kal had passed down the song from their grandmother's home planet of Naboo.

"In the morning when you rise, I bless the sun, I bless the skies."

The song lulled them back to sleep.

In the room next door, the room that belonged to their cousin, something similar had occurred, but instead of seeking help and reassurance, Ben had delved into himself, focusing too intently on the visions in his mind. He believed no one would understand or they would think something was wrong with him, but he would've been wrong. If only he had chosen to seek out others instead of focusing on the dark thoughts and feelings, letting them fester and grow.

The following morning, after Kelin and Karena had woken up and gotten ready for the day, they sought out their mother before their lessons would start and told her all about the darkness plaguing their minds whenever they went to sleep. They told her about the disembodied voice and the horrific actions. They told her about the feelings they were forced to feel. They asked her how to make them stop.

"It's the Dark Side," Kal explained, brushing aside a strand of her daughter's hair and holding Kelin's hand. "The visions will never truly go away. They may lessen or be at the back of your mind, but they'll still be there. The fear will still be there. The Dark Side will always be a constant presence you'll have to learn to live with. But you can overcome it."

"How?" Kelin asked.

Kal squeezed his hand and smiled. "Through love, exactly how you've been coping with it. You went to each other. You came to me. You think of better things. You work to improve yourself and your surroundings. You focus on the Light. The only way to overcome the Dark is to not dwell on it and to fight it. You know the anger and fear isn't yours, but even if it ends up being yours, you face it and overcome it. You move on. And if you need help, you have each other."

Kal held their hands and brought them together. "Always remember you have each other. That's your greatest advantage. No one can take that from you."

* * *

22 ABY

At age eighteen, Kelin and Karena had embarked on their first solo mission. It wasn't necessarily solo as they had each other, but they didn't have their parents or Ezra watching over their shoulders.

Karena had piloted Kal's ship, the _Desert Dragon_ , to the planet Vjun in the Outer Rim Territories. The planet was dark, arid, acid rain-soaked, and almost lifeless. The planet had also been a sith refuge after the fall of the Sith Empire, and during the Clone War, it had been located in Separatist space and used as a hideout by Count Dooku.

The only reason they were making the trip was because Kal had asked the Force ghost of her father where his lightsaber had been taken. She had been curious. When she had told Luke, he said they should recover it and put it with the other relics. And so, Kelin and Karena had been given their first mission: recover the lightsaber of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Shortly after landing, on their short trek up to Bast Castle, they had been attacked by two hssiss, a three-meter long lizard with a scaly green hide and a tail. They were creatures of the Force and were especially common on Dark Side worlds.

Kelin was more interested in their Force-related properties than the fact they had been trying to kill the two Jedi. But after Karena sliced their heads off, they moved on.

Once inside the castle, they fought through automated defense systems and traps until they uncovered the lightsaber in a protected alcove. Kelin clipped it onto his belt, and they quickly left, tired of the dark planet wreaking havoc on their minds. They could feel Darth Vader's anger and regret through the Force as though it had soaked into the walls and floors.

But once off the planet, their thoughts began to clear once again.

Back on Yavin IV, Kelin happily handed the lightsaber to his mother, Obi-Wan's daughter. If anyone deserved to have the lightsaber of the great High Jedi General, it was his daughter, not some scavengers who would eventually pick apart the castle or Dark Side users who would hide it away as a trophy.

* * *

24 ABY

On the clear night of Kelin and Karena's twentieth birthday, they made their way into the jungle on Yavin IV alone. With nothing but the moon and Force to guide them, they hiked until they found an empty clearing. Setting aside their packs of supplies, the two sat in the center of the clearing, the crescent moon and stars watching overhead.

They faced each other; their legs folded beneath them. Their lightsabers hung from their sides, their clothing simple and warm. They didn't plan on being out in the jungle for too long, but what they were about to do required peace and quiet. And no one could help them.

Kelin and Karena joined hands over the small gap between them, sitting tall with their eyes closed. They then reached out with the Force.

Through the Force, they could see and feel everything around them and in them. They could feel each other's thoughts and emotions, each other's past, present, and future, each other's fears and desires, hopes and regrets, dreams and resentments. They could sense each hair and skin cell, each organ, finger, and toe. They could sense everything.

They concentrated on each other, strengthening their bond through the Force. Magnifying it. Amplifying it. They continued until their Force-signatures were intertwined and almost indistinguishable from the other.

As the individuality of their Force-signatures depleted, their bond strengthened until the two became one.

_Boom!_

A pulse shot out from their bodies, billowing through the nearby grass and trees and scaring the wildlife into hiding or running away. But the twins remained untouched, undisturbed, unmovable.

* * *

26 ABY

Shortly after they turned twenty-two, Kelin and Karena finished their Jedi training. They had studied under masters, built their own lightsabers, and gone on solo missions, and finally, the Council had deemed them ready to transcend from padawans to Jedi Knights.

Kelin had decided down the Consular path to becoming a researcher and strategist. He wanted to expand upon his Force knowledge and unlock the secrets of the Force and the galaxy.

Karena had decided down the Sentinel path to becoming an investigator and shadow. She prided herself on amplifying non-Force skills with her Force techniques and combat skills in order to work in secrecy, in the shadows.

They had chosen their paths when studying the holocrons in the hideout on Rishi when they were seventeen, and since then had been catering to those skills to augment their training.

Karena had been drawn to a specific holocron when she asked where her future lied. And out of the hundreds of holocrons lining the cave, one shined brighter than the rest. When she opened it, Jedi Recruiter Morrit Ch'gally stood tall in the hologram and said, "In my view, it's possible to know too much about combat and the Force- if it means you know next to nothing about intelligence gathering, computer slicing, technological surveillance, or espionage. Sentinels approach these disciplines from the bottom up, without assuming that the Force will reveal all the answers."

Kelin, on the other hand, had already known what he wanted to do and sought guidance from the holocrons only to fill him with a sense of security. He learned about the various roles and responsibilities that various Jedi Researchers adhered to, such as updating the Jedi Archives and serving as archaeologists, mathematicians, and astronomers.

And so, Kelin learned loads about the Force from his father, such as advanced Force techniques, and about Jedi lore from Ahsoka and their Jedi Lore Keeper and historian Tionne while Karena learned advanced combat from Kal and Sabine and practical skills from Wedge, Hobbie, and Boba, such as slicing, flying, and engineering.

Their chosen jobs and affinities balanced each other. If Kelin should find the location of a Sith artifact or Sith world, Karena would be dispatched to handle it. Kelin would make the plan and Karena would execute it. They worked in tandem, their bond continuing to strengthen as time passed until they could commune through the Force while on opposite sides of the galaxy.

When it was finally time for the Knighting Ceremony, the twins met in the Jedi High Council Chambers. They stood back to back while the members of the Council formed a circle around them, raising their lightsaber hilts.

Karena faced the Master of the Order, Master Kaleena Kenobi-Skywalker, and Kelin faced the Grand Master, Master Luke Skywalker. As one, the other Council members - Cere Junda, Ahsoka Tano, Cal Kestis, Ezra Bridger, Kyle Katarn, Kam Salusar, and Tionne Salusar - ignited their sabers. They were close to being a full council at nine members. They needed three more, and the masters had every intention of inviting the young Skywalker twins to join.

The lights in the room were dimmed, and the only light that shined emitted from the bright blades of the lightsabers, washing the room in blue and green.

"Step forward, Padawan," Luke ordered. Kelin walked forward and knelt in front of his father. Luke lowered his green blade to his son's shoulder then moved it to the other side and above Kelin's head as he spoke, his voice ringing out through the large, spacious room. "By the rights of the Council, by the will of the Force, Kelin Skywalker, you may rise. You are now a knight of the Jedi Order." Luke sliced through the Padawan braid, the hair falling to the floor at Luke's feet.

Kelin stood, pride swelling in his chest as he fought back a grin and returned to his spot, his back against his sister's.

"Step forward, Padawan," Kal repeated. Karena followed her brother's actions, kneeling in front of their mother. Kal lowered her cyan blade to her daughters' left shoulder, then right, then above her head as she recited the words. "By the rights of the Council, by the will of the Force, Karena Skywalker, you may rise. You are now a knight of the Jedi Order." Kal sliced through Karena's Padawan braid, and it fell.

Karena stood and returned to her place, both Skywalker children waiting for their next instructions.

Ahsoka stood perpendicular to them, watching the twins with a small smile. "As Knights of the Order, you are responsible for maintaining peace throughout the galaxy, as the Jedi have done for hundreds of generations," Ahsoka said. "The Council confers your title on you, Karena Skywalker, as a Jedi Sentinel, and you, Kelin Skywalker, as a Jedi Consular. Go forth from this chamber as full members of the Jedi Order."

The council members turned off their lightsabers, and Kal used the Force to turn the lights back on. Kelin and Karena turned around and embraced, grinning from ear to ear. They had completed their training.

Outside the window, hidden in the dark of the night, was Ben Solo looking on. He had wanted to watch his cousins be knighted but wasn't allowed in the room. His anger and resentment only continued to grow as time passed no matter what they did for him.

He didn't seem to want help. He was too focused on his problems that he neglected everything else around him. Including a healthy state of mind.


	3. Vornskr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know very little about pre-Force Awakens because I haven't read any of the books or comics for this generation, so basically, I'm making up a lot of my own shit as I go along unless I read it on Wookieepedia, meaning, don't mind my completely wrong way of going about how they were finding Lor San Tekka and Luke.
> 
> Also, I wanted to add that the pronunciation of Karena is Kuh-ren-uh, not Kar-ee-nuh. Minor tidbit, but thought I'd share it. That's why Kelin called her Ren in the previous chapter.

30 ABY

It had been two years since the fall of the New Jedi Order and the formation of the Resistance. With the help of her close friends, allies, and family, Leia built up the Resistance into a formidable paramilitary organization to oppose the rising threat of the First Order. The New Republic had yet to confirm the First Order's existence and were keeping it hushed no matter how many people in the New Republic military provided evidence. It led to many of them leaving the New Republic military and joining the Resistance under the leadership of General Leia Organa.

Meanwhile, Kelin and Karena were with their aunt every step of the way, helping her in any way they could by joining up and continuing their Jedi Order jobs but as members of the Resistance.

In the two years, Kelin was appointed Colonel in the Resistance Army and became their chief strategist, and Karena, while also being at the rank of Colonel when with the military, continued her role as a spy, seeking out information about the First Order's whereabouts, especially when it became clear to her that Ben Solo had become Kylo Ren, leader of the Knights of Ren and a champion of the First Order.

Unfortunately, their lives had been forever changed due to the fall of the New Jedi Order. They no longer went by the name Skywalker and adopted their grandmother's name as it was lesser known than Skywalker and Kenobi. They were Aput, and very few people knew the truth about them.

They had lost their mother to death, father to exile, cousin to the Dark Side, and uncle to smuggling. With Leia returning to a life of war, Han had returned to a life of smuggling. They had separated, grieving in their own ways. And Chewie had gone with him.

The Resistance was growing, fighting, prospering, but its individual members were suffering in silence, pouring their energy into a cause greater than themselves, and running from their problems.

Kelin continued to wear his mother's necklace under his clothing on a daily basis as a constant reminder of what had happened, but he was moving on, getting on with his life, but never letting go of his anger towards his cousin and father. Karena, on the other hand, wasn't. She was striving in the anger. Inheriting the _Desert Dragon_ and Gray gave her the means to go out in search of the answers she so desperately craved. And when she wasn't with the Resistance or on a mission? She was on Rishi watching holorecordings of her parents and grandparents, focusing her anger towards what Ben had done, towards what the Dark Side had done.

* * *

Commander Poe Dameron worked on his X-wing, surrounded by other pilots. A few of them had returned to D'Qar from a mission about an hour prior, so they were taking a short leave, but Poe could never sit still, not when he was about to leave again for another mission, so they were watching him work and chatting amongst themselves. BB-8, a white and orange ball-shaped droid with a dome head, handed his master a wrench as a scout ship started the landing cycle on the tarmac nearby.

Poe paused while taking the wrench, not recognizing the blue and white, crescent-shaped ship. Granted, he hadn't been with the Resistance very long, only a few months. As he watched with curiosity, the access hatch opened, and a blonde woman dropped out followed by a seeker-droid. She closed the hatch and began marching towards the Command Center, her black cloak flowing in the wind.

"Who's that?" Poe asked while watching the woman walk away. She seemed to have a thing for the color black, but Poe spotted a hint of teal peeking out from under the cloak on her neck and arms. He wondered if she'd be the one he was joining for a mission.

Temmin 'Snap' Wexley barely needed to look at who his commanding officer was staring at. "That is Vornskr," he answered, saying her callsign instead of her real name.

Poe wanted to continue staring at her, but she disappeared into the building, so he turned to look at Snap, his dark bushy eyebrows pinching together. "Isn't that an animal on Myrkr?"

"Yeah," Snap said with a shrug. "No one knows her real name. Or if they do, they don't say." He meant himself. He, of course, knew her name, having known her since she was a baby. They were practically family because of his step-father Wedge. Karena was like a little sister to him. "She's a spy."

Jessika Pava picked at her cargo pants while sitting on the ground. "I heard Major Brance call her Colonel once."

Poe turned back to his engine. "Hm, must be good at her job then."

"Some say she's been here since the beginning of the Resistance," L'ulo L'ampar added from his spot on a crate. He had been a member of the Rebellion and was practically Poe's uncle due to how close he had been with Shara Bey, Poe's mother. Despite being a member of the Rebellion, he didn't know Karena's real name since he hadn't been particularly close with Kal or Luke, leaving him just as in the dark with her identity as most of the Resistance.

"It makes sense," Jessika said. "When she's on base, I always see her with General Organa or Colonel Aput, and we all know Aput's been here the whole time. Maybe they were some of the first to follow the General." Jessika sighed, leaning back on her hands. "If I ever get shot for staring at a woman for too long, I hope it's her."

Captain Karé Kun, who had joined the Resistance with Poe, enjoyed hanging out with them. She had command of her own squadron, Stiletto Squadron. But she liked bothering Poe whenever she got the chance, hence why she sat with them often.

She looked at Jessika strangely, raising an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised to hear you say that?" Karé asked.

"No matter how attractive she is," Poe cut in, gesturing to the scout ship, "her ship looks like it could use some work." The engine looked like it was smoking, and a few pieces of the metal siding were coming loose. Poe assumed she had just been in a firefight by the state of the ship. Two mechanics had hurried over with their tools and started working on it.

Snap secretly wished he'd say that to Karena's face, not just the part about her ship but also where Poe implied he found her attractive. He had a feeling Poe would've gotten shot. "Says the one who's always damaging his ship."

Poe gave an indignant cry, waving around the wrench. "It's not like I mean to!" BB-8 let out a string of low beeps, sounding like a chuckle. Poe shot a glare towards his droid.

Jessika snorted, shaking her head. "Of course not. You just like to fly too close to other objects, don't pull up after blowing something up, and crashing instead of landing safely."

"Sometimes I wonder why they call you the best when you're always getting yourself into trouble," Karé added.

L'ulo waved his hand and shook his head, getting their attention. "That's what he's best at, not the actual flying."

"I'm standing right here," Poe pointed out, looking woefully unimpressed with their bantering. "And don't forget, you're all gonna be without me for a few days."

Jessika rolled her eyes. "What else do you expect us to do with our time, Commander? Actual work? Please."

* * *

While the pilots had been chatting out on the tarmac and Karena was making her way towards the Command Center, Kelin was looking furiously at his aunt. He was furious about the mission she was assigning to Karena. He found it utterly ridiculous, clouded by his emotions instead of focusing on the logical standpoint of the mission as he usually did.

Leia had recruited Karena for a covert mission to interrogate an Admiral of the First Order. Karena had discovered his rank and affiliations a few weeks prior, and Leia was ready to exploit it since they knew exactly where the Admiral would be for the next week: gambling on Canto Bight. Intelligence suggested that the First Order had made plans to search for Luke Skywalker as he was the 'last of the Jedi,' and Leia wanted to know what they knew, wanting to find her brother first.

Kelin wasn't happy. Not one bit. Especially since Leia hadn't planned on sending Karena in alone. No, she was assigning her a partner to watch her back.

"You're assigning Captain Hotshot to her?" Kelin asked, his eyes narrowed, glaring at his aunt. "You're practically asking her to stab him." He didn't know what he was angrier at, the mission itself or the flyboy.

Leia looked up at her nephew calmly. She understood why he was upset, but it didn't change her mind. "It's Commander Hotshot actually," Leia corrected, "but your misgivings are noted. Is that all, Colonel?"

Kelina huffed, glancing away before looking back at Leia. "No. I don't agree with you sending my sister on this mission, regardless of who you send with her."

"She volunteered for it."

"And what did you say to convince her to do it?" Kelin leaned forward, lowering his voice with harsh, almost desperate, undertones. "He abandoned us."

Leia could see the pain in his eyes that he tried so hard to bury and move passed. "She wants closure. Is that so hard to believe?" Kelin sighed, turning around and walking away. "Kelin, she can handle it," Leia called after him. "You should trust her."

Kelin's steps faltered, taking in his aunt's words, but then he continued marching away.

* * *

Karena entered the Command Center and made a direct beeline for her aunt. She didn't see her brother anywhere, so she focused on her aunt. Gray sat patiently on her shoulder, waiting for an order or attention. He would've been fine with either.

Leia looked up from the computer terminal she was at, standing behind one of the technicians. Moving away from the terminal, she met her niece halfway. "How did it go?" Leia asked.

Karena rubbed her wrist which had a bacta patch on it under the sleeve and bracer. "Could've been worse," she replied. "Let's just say the Black Sun didn't like me asking questions." She had been on Nar Shaddaa sniffing around the galactic underworld for a prominent arms dealer who had been dealing weaponry to First Order officers.

Nodding, Leia smirked. She wasn't surprised Karena had ended up getting into a fight. She was usually pretty good at laying low and staying out of sight, but something about her just asked for a fight when she was caught. "Well, if you'd like you can take a day before your next mission."

"No, I'm ready now," Karena said, shaking her head. "I can rest on my ship. I'll just need to stock up on some supplies before going."

"Alright, well, your ship is undergoing repairs, so it should be ready to go by the time you leave."

"Fantastic. Just please make sure they don't mess with any of the modifications. The last time they were repairing her, they undid the ion cannon. Didn't find out until I needed it." It had been a nightmare. Once during her off-time, she had to blast her way off Tatooine after cleaning out the rest of what remained of her grandfather's abandoned hut, but a gang who had taken up residence on the Hutt-less planet didn't like that. Thankfully, Gray had gotten the cannon back up in time for her to shoot one of the ships tailing her, giving her time to escape.

Leia almost grimaced, remembering hearing the story immediately following the incident. Her and Kelin stopped Karena from chewing out an engineer. Ever since then, Karena had Gray run a diagnostics check on her ship before each take-off.

"Noted," Leia said. "Your target is on Canto Bight. I trust you know how to blend in there. He'll be there for the next six days. And one of our pilots will be accompanying you."

Karena's face twisted up. "Come again?"

Leia shook her head, not understanding the Skywalker twins' aversion to having people around to help. "I'm not sending you in alone. Dameron's an excellent pilot and a good shot. He won't slow you down. If anything, he'll get you to move faster."

"I can move plenty fast on my own," Karena countered, frowning and not pleased.

"Not when you're stuck in that head of yours." Leia gave her a pointed look. "While this mission isn't particularly time-sensitive since you have more than enough days to complete it, we need to find him before the First Order does. That means playing nice with others to make sure a job well done, understood?"

Karena eyed her aunt skeptically. "You think I don't actually want to find him. That's why you're giving me a babysitter."

Reaching forward and taking her niece's hands in her own, Leia sighed and shook her head. "No," Leia assured softly to keep their conversation private from the others in the Command Center. "Despite your brother's very vocal views about finding your father, I know I can trust you with this. I simply don't want you to be alone in your venture. I can't go with and Kelin refuses to, but I need to make sure that you have support in case things go south, either with the mission or in your mind."

Karena didn't like it, but she understood. Leia didn't have much family left and wanted those who were still around to have all the support they could possibly need.

"Thank you, Auntie," Karena said quietly, conceding. Maybe having a partner on one mission wouldn't be too bad? "Who'd you assign me?"

Leia let go of Karena's hands, returning to her 'in command' stance and voice. "Commander Poe Dameron and his droid BB-8. They joined about six months ago. Was in the New Republic Defense Fleet. I've heard good things from Wedge and Wexley about him, but be careful. He's a lot like your uncle."

"Which one?" Karena had meant it to be a playful question, but she noticed the sad look in Leia's eyes, clueing her into it being her actual uncle, Han, and not Wedge, Hobbie, or Ezra. Karena swiftly nodded, not focusing on it too much. "Of course. We'll be back in no time. Keep an eye on Kelin?"

"Always. May the Force be with you."

Karena gave her a small smile. "And you."

* * *

Roughly an hour after Karena had been updated on her mission, she and a deckhand were finishing loading up a few crates of supplies into the cargo hold when a man dressed in a brown leather jacket, a blaster strapped to his thigh, and a bag thrown over his shoulder along with an orange and white droid rolling by his side strolled into the ship.

With one glance, Karena immediately knew he was going to be trouble, already sensing a Han Solo-type vibe from him just by how he stood and dressed. He was Poe Dameron, the rising star of the Resistance. Karena hadn't been on base in almost seven months, choosing to fuel up, buy supplies, and get her missions all while off-world, so it was the first time she had ever seen the pilot but not the first time she'd heard of him. A few of her contacts had described him as the best pilot in the Resistance, much to her secret annoyance.

Upon ascending the loading ramp, Poe's eyes rested on the woman he had been eyeing earlier. Vornskr, Snap had called her. Poe didn't know what spies were supposed to look like but a pretty blonde was not what he had in mind whenever he pictured a spy.

He watched as Vornskr set the crate she was holding on top of another then face him fully, studying him and BB-8 with brilliant blue eyes. He took a step forward, stretching out his hand for her to shake, fully prepared to introduce himself, but she interrupted before he had the chance.

"We leave in five minutes," she said simply then walked away, towards the cockpit of the ship to begin warming her up.

Poe slowly lowered his hand and glanced at the deckhand who shrugged before leaving the ship. BB-8 chuckled and rolled deeper into the ship, getting a feel of his new surroundings. Poe sighed and rubbed the back of his neck wondering why the General chose him to aid a difficult woman on a mission out of all the pilots she could've possibly chosen. And why even a pilot? Why not an Intelligence officer?

Lifting his hand, Poe pressed the button on the wall next to him, closing the loading ramp.

As he took a few steps towards the direction Vornskr had gone, the small seeker droid he had seen earlier zipped past him, leaving engineering to report on the diagnostics check he had just run on the ship. When he entered the cockpit a few seconds after the droid, he heard her talking.

"Everything working?" Vornskr asked her droid while flipping a few switches and peeling off her cloak. She set it down on the pilot seat, showing her teal, long-sleeved, lace-up top covering her torso and neck and tucked into her high-waisted black pants. The dark bracers on her forearms were scuffed and dented but kept the loose sleeves out of her way. Holstered in the belt on her waist were twin blasters.

Poe made a silent note to himself to try not to piss her off lest he be on the receiving end of those blasters. Even then, he had a feeling pissing her off would be a given regardless of what he said, so he discarded the note.

 _Desert Dragon + Proton torpedo launcher = replacement needed_ , the droid beeped. _Launcher = old + rusting_.

"Probably because I never use it," she muttered. She didn't exactly spend much time in warzones where proton torpedos would actually come in handy. "Thanks, Gray. Can you take inventory?"

Gray, the seeker droid, whistled excitedly, turned around, spotted Poe standing in the doorway, then zoomed by, not caring one bit about the new human.

"We're about to take off, so go strap yourself in."

It took Poe a second to realize the woman was talking to him, but he couldn't figure out how she knew he was there. He had been quiet walking over, hadn't spoken, and she hadn't turned around and seen him. "Right, yeah." he murmured, turning around. Outside the cockpit was the common area, so Poe took a seat on the bench, strapping himself to the seat.

Karena focused on the controls of the ship instead of her passenger, lifting her ship off the tarmac and into the sky. Once out of the atmosphere, she inputted the coordinates of Canto Bight into the nav-computer.

When they were sailing smoothly through hyperspace, Karena stood from her seat and left the cockpit. Poe hopped up, ready to hopefully have a real conversation with her, but she had something else in mind. Karena knocked on the door to the left of the cockpit and said, "Here's the refresher." She gestured to the large cabinet right next to it. "Food is in there. It's all rations or dried goods." She pointed to the door a meter away. "That's my room. Don't go in. It only has one bunk." She took a few steps towards a couch nestled on the opposite side of the common area from the bench. On it rested a pillow and a folded blanket. "The couch pulls out into a bed. You've already seen the cargo hold. On the other side of the cargo hold is engineering. Don't go in. Any questions?"

Poe took a long look at her stoic expression. "You really don't want a partner, huh?" he said.

"No, I do not," she answered honestly. "But General Organa has assigned you to me anyway. I'll respect her decision, but don't expect a warm and fuzzy welcome. Any other questions?" _Preferably one that is important_ , she added to herself.

He had plenty. "Yeah, why do they call you Vornskr?" he asked.

Even though she had been expecting it, she didn't like hearing the question. Ever since Leia had started the Resistance, Karena and Kelin had kept their true identities a secret, but Karena went above and beyond with her efforts due to her chosen profession. Kelin still at least went by his first name. "That's my callsign."

"But no one seems to know your actual name," Poe pressed.

She rolled her eyes and turned around, going to the food cupboard since she hadn't eaten all day. "It's no one's business but my own."

"Except for Command, I presume?" Poe leaned on the wall, still watching the intriguing woman. He hadn't expected to be so curious about her. It was like the simple act of her not wanting to talk made him even more speculative.

"I've been here longer than most of them," Karena answered vaguely, pulling out a bag of dried fruit. "Only a few actually know me."

"If you've been in the Resistance longer most of them, why are you only a Colonel? Why not Admiral? A few of them have only been in the Resistance a few months."

Karena's shoulders tensed as she turned around, closing the cupboard door. Poe noticed a slight uptick in her right eyebrow, but otherwise, she tried her best to keep a completely neutral face. "What makes you think I'm a Colonel?"

"The pilots under my command." Poe grinned, pleased that he had managed to bring out a semblance of emotion in her.

She wanted to strangle him and his cocky grin. "The only pilot even remotely under your command who knows me is Snap, and he knows better than to give anyone legitimate information about me." If it had been Snap, Karena planned on having a word with him, such as why he was talking about her.

However, Poe refused to say who. "So you being a Colonel is legitimate?" he asked.

Karena shook her head. "I didn't say that."

"But it's implied." His grin grew. "You're going to warm up to me eventually, I can tell."

She rolled her eyes again and began walking back into the cockpit. "Keep dreaming."

Poe chuckled to himself then realized something and followed, leaning in the doorway of the cockpit and watching Karena as she sat down, opening her small bag of food. "Wait, you and Snap know each other? Are you friends?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything about me. That much should be obvious by now."

Despite her words, Poe took the answer as a yes and said, "Doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

Karena turned her head to look at him and gave him a patronizing smile. "But it does mean you'll fail."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Poe said, leaning forward as though sharing a secret. "I'm good at what I do."

Karena fully turned the pilot seat around to face the hotshot pilot standing behind her. Arching an eyebrow, she folded her hands in her lap. "From what I've heard, you crash nearly every ship you fly. You'll crash this, too." Although, she'd be lying if she said she didn't admire his stubbornness and banter.

Poe huffed, shaking his head. "With a successful mission." He raised his hand, pointing in no particular direction. "And I always fix my ship back up."

"Well, you aren't laying a finger on the mechanics of this ship," she told him. "Only trusted engineers and I have the okay to do so."

Poe looked around at the interior of the cockpit, a slight look of worry gracing his expression. "I'm not sure I'd want to. It looks like she's about to fall apart. How old is she?"

Karena's jaw clenched. _It is not, you kriffing moon-jockey_ , she thought, narrowing her eyes. What was up with pilots intentionally getting on people's last nerve? "I've flown older. And she may not be a beauty but she can take a hit and deal some damage." Incessant beeping and whistles coming from the cargo hold drew her attention away from the frustrating man. "Gray, stop messing with the new droid! BB-8 is our guest."

"You're nicer to my droid than you are to me," Poe said when she looked back at him.

She haphazardly shrugged, not particularly caring. "I've always liked machines more than people. Now, will you shut up?" Karena stood, not waiting for his response, and shoved passed him to leave the cockpit.

Poe sighed and rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache forming. _General Organa, why me?_


	4. Canto Bight

30 ABY

As the _Desert Dragon_ and its occupants neared the planet Cantonica, Karena and Poe finalized their plan. Granted, most of it had been devised by Kelin, since that was his job, but the finer points were up to Karena and Poe who would be carrying out the mission, such as how to lure the First Order Admiral up to his room, how to get the man to talk, and how to leave the hotel.

Upon taking the ship out of hyperspace, Karena flew to the coastal city of Canto Bight and parked her ship in a hangar at the Canto Bight Spaceport, paying for the space.

It had been decided that Karena would lure the admiral out of the casino and up to his private quarters and Poe would steal a room service uniform so he wouldn't look out of place walking through the halls of the hotel to case the environment.

Karena dug through the storage locker in the cargo hold. It held different clothes and props she used on various planets and environments to blend in with the locals. She pulled out a pair of heels from the bottom shelf and tossed them behind her, knowing Poe would catch them considering he was standing there watching her, then proceeded to look through the clothing options.

Poe held them up to look at the plain black high heels. The heel part of the shoes looked less like a platform to stand on and more like a weapon and were a good five inches at least. He didn't like the look of them considering they would make her taller than him by a good three inches.

"Can you even walk in these?" he asked. Growing up on Yavin IV and being a New Republic then Resistance pilot didn't leave him with many opportunities to see how women dress during fancy occasions.

"I wouldn't wear them if I couldn't." She threw a dress that Poe proceeded to catch, almost dropping the shoes. Karena opened a mini locker within the locker to pick out jewelry to match the shoes and dress.

Poe stared awkwardly at the dress in his hand while Karena grabbed some jewelry then straightened and closed the storage locker. "Where's the rest of it?" he asked when she turned around.

Karena grabbed the heels and dress from him. "That is the rest of it."

He stared dumbfoundedly as she walked away to the refresher. Hurrying after her, Poe stood outside of the refresher while she changed. "You don't think it might not be, I dunno, classy enough?" he asked through the door. He mostly just did not want to accidentally embarrass himself.

Karena rolled her eyes as she stripped. "For a man, you know very little about how to catch the eye of one." She could feel his glare through the door and almost laughed. "It's classy enough to make it seem like I belong and revealing enough to pull our guy away alone. He won't follow if I'm only using my words. Just stick to the plan and everything will go fine."

She pulled the black, form-fitting, backless dress over her body while she talked, fixing the straps on her shoulders and smoothening the dress over her legs. Slipping her feet into the heels, lifting her height to be taller than the man waiting outside the refresher door.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked as she draped the jeweled necklace around her neck and clipped on the fake earrings. "You'll be alone with him for a few minutes."

She put on some dark red lipstick and mascara, growing more annoyed with Poe by the second. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"You won't have a weapon."

Karena ruffled her hair, bringing some of it in front of her shoulders, then opened the refresher door, walking out of it, leaving her regular clothes in the refresher for when they returned. She patted Poe on the cheek with a patronizing grin. "I don't need a weapon." She walked away, back to the cargo hold.

As she walked, Poe's eyes drift down her backside and he quickly shook his head before following after her. Karena opened a completely different storage locker in the cargo hold, revealing multiple drawers and blasters hung up on the inside. Poe watched her open a few of the drawers and pull small vials out, but he couldn't make out what they were since she slipped them into the underside of her cleavage underneath the dress. She also grabbed two earpieces and two comlinks.

Karena closed the locker when she was done grabbing what she needed and felt his stare on her back. She could also feel his anxiety through the Force. Anxiety mixed with something else.

"What are you doing?" she asked abruptly, still looking at the closed locker doors with her hands stilled on the handles.

It snapped Poe from his stupor. "What? Nothing. Nothing at all."

Karena turned around with an eyebrow raised. "Uh, huh." She didn't believe his lying ass one bit. She handed him his earpiece and comlink after putting her own in her ear and putting the comm in her dress. "Ready to go?"

* * *

Unfortunately for the droids, they were in charge of watching over the ship. Poe had wanted to use BB-8 or Gray, he would've preferred his droid but was fine with the other, to scout around looking for their target or to at least find where all the security cameras were, but it wasn't Karena's first rodeo in Canto Bight. She knew it would be a bad idea to have droids in the casino, especially ones that weren't standard service droids or protocol droids. She also knew the hotel and casino didn't have cameras due to the shady clientele. There were plenty of security guards to watch over the patrons. Cameras would have scared them all away.

Only a select few establishments in Canto Bight had cameras, and where they were going wasn't one of them.

At the Coruscant Hotel and Casino, Karena walked in through the front doors alone. Poe was going around to a side or back entrance to nab a uniform while Karena found their admiral. With Karena's comlink constantly active, Poe was able to hear everything she could, and once he was ready, he'd say something in his.

It didn't take Karena long to find the First Order admiral. She had been the one to discover his rank and affiliation after all. Admiral Palo Bade was a middle-aged, lanky, fair-skinned, tall human male that was easily distracted by pretty things and liked hearing the sound of his own voice but was otherwise good at his job from what Karena could tell. And he was decently attractive, so flirting with him wouldn't make her want to hurl.

A server held out a tray of drinks as she walked by, and she happily took one with a smile before continuing to the Corellian Spike sabacc table Admiral Bade was at. There was a small crowd around the players at the table, mostly consisting of bodyguards or lovers rather than patrons wanting to watch the game. Karena noted a single bodyguard behind the admiral, meaning he was probably in Canto Bight for more than just gambling. Perhaps something like procuring a trade deal.

She went around to the opposite end of the table, so he'd be able to see her. For a few minutes, she focused solely on the card game, pretending to be interested in the gambling going on in front of her as she sipped her drink until she started subtly eyeing the admiral. Acting coy around her targets, whether male, female, or otherwise, was something she had grown to be good at. And when Admiral Bade made eye contact with her, a small smirk pulled at her lips. That's when he started watching her for the next few minutes as well.

"Alright, I'm in," Poe's voice echoed in her ear. With Poe ready and in the hotel, Karena could carry on.

Karena gave the admiral a long look before walking away from the table to a different game table. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away. Karena didn't pay particular attention to the table she had gone to, but based on the die used, she assumed it was a table for the game divot. She didn't need to wait long for Admiral Bade to come up beside her, trying to dazzle her with a charming smile.

"Can I get your name, gorgeous?" he asked with an aristocratic accent that reminded her of her mother's.

"Lorena," she lied easily with a sly grin. It was her go-to fake name. It sounded similar enough to her real name to answer to but had a different initial to keep it different from a standard alias.

Poe heard the name through the earpiece and wanted to ask if that was her real name but decided against it so he wouldn't distract her. He also doubted he'd give their target her real name when she wouldn't give it to him.

"And you?" Karena asked, bringing her free hand up and brushing it against his shoulder as if she was dusting something off.

"Palo," he answered. He smiled at her and held out his hand. "Would you like another drink?" She barely had the chance to nod before he grabbed her empty glass and signaled over a server. As the server was walking over, Admiral Bade kept his eyes on Karena. "So, do you prefer a game of chance or skill?" He set the empty glass on the server's tray and picked up another, handing it to Karena.

Considering his ease of transfer and the question he asked, Karena knew that despite him being married with children, his attention was easily swayed, and she wasn't the first woman to turn his head.

"On the one hand, chance is. . . thrilling," Karena said, bringing the glass to her lips. "But on the other hand, skill is lasting." Admiral Bade's eyes drifted downwards as she took a sip of the drink. "So, I suppose it depends on my mood."

He inched the slightest bit closer. "And what are you in the mood for?" He moved a strand of her hair out of her face.

Poe rolled his eyes while listening to the exchange, wanting to gag. He was impatiently waiting by walking through the halls and making note of the various escape routes but had to admit Karena was good at hooking her prey. He kind of wished he could watch it but knew he'd probably be tempted to punch Bade in the face if he touched her.

"Hmm, skill." Karena winked at Admiral Bade before turning and walking away.

Bade quickly followed, resting a hand on her bare mid-back as she walked over to a regular sabacc table. "If skill's what you're looking for, I have plenty," he said quietly in her ear.

"What are you proposing?" she asked, not looking at him and focusing on the game of sabacc in front of them. She wanted to tear his hand off her back and break his thumb but stomached through it.

"You and me upstairs with a bottle of Andoan wine." Bade's hand drifted lower, settling right above her ass.

Karena faced him then glanced at his guard a foot away. "Will your friend be in the room?" It was a subtle way of telling Poe there would be more than just the admiral to deal with.

"If you want him to, but if not, he can be in a different room. What do you say?"

She pretended to contemplate the offer by sipping on her drink, commenting to herself how easy it was to get him to think he was in getting everything he wanted, then smiled. "Make it two bottles and you have a deal."

"That I can do." He moved his hand to her waist and steered her away from the sabacc table, out of the casino, and to the elevator. His guard followed close behind.

The elevator doors closed, and Poe listened for when the elevator would stop. He already knew what room they would be going to because it had been part of the strategy and information Colonel Aput had pieced together for them. The moment their elevator stopped, Poe began making his way upstairs.

Bade opened the suite door and the guard locked it behind them. Karena spotted another guard standing by the ceiling-to-floor window when they walked into the living room. Bade then shooed the guards away as he stripped off his jacket, and the guards disappeared further into the suite, leaving Bade alone with Karena. Bad move for him.

Bade led her towards the luxurious couch, and the moment Karena heard one of the bedroom doors close, she ripped his hand from her waist, twisted it, and punched him in the throat before he could yell, all while dropping the fake smile.

Karena pulled out one of the vials she had hidden in her dress, took off the cap, and stabbed him in the arm with the needle protruding from the end of it, injecting frinka venom, a powerful paralytic, into his bloodstream. Bade dropped onto the couch. With him unable to move his body, she picked up his discarded suit jacket and stuffed the sleeve in his mouth so he couldn't talk when his breathing became normal.

Before she was able to go to where the bodyguards had disappeared, there was a knock on the suite door. Karena frowned, almost forgetting about Poe. She hadn't thought he'd be that quick then remembered that he had been worried about her being alone with Bade for too long. Karena opened the door, grabbed Poe by the shirt, and pulled him inside. He was about to talk, but she brought her hand up to his mouth, silencing him.

Her heels clicking on the hard floor, Karena left Poe with Bade and went down the hall she had seen the guards go down. At the end of the short hall was a closed door, and she knocked on it.

One of the guards opened the door, and Karena waved with a sweet smile then promptly sucker-punched him. He groaned and stumbled back. Tearing off one of her heels, she threw it at the other guard, hitting him square in the face. She used the other heel to hit the first guard again. The second guard pulled out a blaster, and Karena grabbed it, twisting his arm and jumping up to wrap her legs around his throat, flipping him in the process. Karena switched the blaster setting to _stun_ and shot both guards.

Upon standing, she straightened her dress, pulled her heels back on, and left the room, shutting the door behind her. "Sorry about that," Karena said when she entered the common area again. "Had to send a few friends to sleep. Where were we?" She spun the blaster in her hand.

"What did you shoot him up with?" Poe asked, gesturing towards the admiral with his head.

"A paralytic. He can only move his head." Karena stopped in front of Bade and pointed the blaster at him. "Now, if you scream, I will shoot you, understand?" Unbeknownst to both Poe and Bade, the stun setting was still on.

Bade quivered and nodded, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

"Good." Karena leaned forward and pulled the suit jacket out of his mouth, tossing it aside.

"Please, please, I have a family," Bade said, breathing heavily. "A wife and kids, please."

Karena grimaced and shook her head. "If you have a family, joining the First Order is a poor way to treat them."

"Not to mention," Poe chimed in, leaning against the bar a few feet away with his arms crossed, "bringing a woman to your room when you have a wife? That's pathetic."

"Please, I'll tell you everything you want to know, just don't hurt me," Bade pleaded.

Karena was tempted to shoot him for giving in so quickly. "Skywalker," she said. She poked him in the knee with the blaster. "What does the First Order know about Luke Skywalker? And skip over the basics about him being the Republic's hero and whatever."

"We're looking for him," Bade answered. Karena gave him an expectant look. "That's it, I swear. Supreme Leader Snoke is very secretive about it. Only a select few people know his plans. Like, like General Hux and Kylo Ren."

Poe looked at Karena. "How do we know he's telling the truth?"

"I am!" Bade exclaimed frantically. "I swear on my life, I'm telling the truth. I don't know anything!"

Karena studied the pathetic admiral both with her eyes and the Force. She sensed no deception, only honesty and desperation. "He is."

"Is that supposed to be encouraging?" Poe asked. He didn't know Vornskr well enough to simply take her word for something. He also had no clue as to how she could possibly know whether Bade was telling the truth or not.

"Let's just say I can tell when someone's lying." Karena paused, eyes boring into Admiral Bade. She had no doubt Snoke was being selective about who he told his plans to, especially when it came to the great Luke Skywalker, and Bade had already helped a little by telling her the First Order was even looking for her father, but there was more she wanted to ask.

Poe watched her, knowing she was thinking hard about something. He wanted to snap her out of it and get the kriff out of the building before the guards woke up or the paralytic she had used wore off or anyone went looking for Bade. "We should-"

Karena lifted her hand and Poe stopped talking. She had made up her mind. "Kylo Ren: what can you tell me about him?" she asked. The admiral started to shake his head, but she leaned forward and grabbed his jaw, forcing him to look at her. "Nuh, uh. Look at me. You're an admiral. If anyone knows anything about Kylo Ren, it'd be you." She dropped her hand from his jaw and pointed the blaster at his crotch. "So, Ren, now."

"I-I don't know much, I swear," Bade said. "He's not a formal part of the military. He's usually on a mission or his flagship."

She gave him a smile. "You know more than that."

"He's the Supreme Leader's attack dog," Bade continued. "He-he is volatile and temperamental. He and General Hux don't get along."

Karena wasn't surprised to hear that her cousin didn't get along with someone. "What's his ship's name?" she asked.

"The _Finalizer_."

She snorted and shook her head. "He has a serious lack of imagination then if he's the one that named it. It's a Star Destroyer, right? Probably _Resurgent_ -class?" Bade nodded. "Which means eleven engine units and over fifteen-hundred turbolasers and ion cannons. Probably tractor beam projectors. 19,000 officers, 55,000 enlisted, and over 8,000 stormtroopers." Reciting some of the basic inner-workings of a Star Destroyer was easy to her, but Poe looked at her strangely, wondering how she knew all that information off the top of her head, but ships were her comfort zone. "Where are you stationed?"

"The _Harbinger_."

"See now that's a better name than _Finalizer_." Karena patted Bade's leg with the blaster. "Also _Resurgent_ -class, I presume? Even if it wasn't, all of your ships look the same. No originality or creativity whatsoever."

She sighed at the admiral shaking and looked up at Poe. "At first, I was pleased to find someone who didn't struggle much against my demands, but do you see how cowardly he is? It's like I don't even need a blaster." Poe didn't get the chance to respond as she turned back to the admiral and kept talking. "This is precisely why the First Order will eventually be defeated. The Resistance has complete faith and loyalty to their cause. I'd suggest you jump ship and switch sides, but the fact of the matter is, we don't want you either." Poe was getting antsy as she talked, wanting to pull her away and leave before someone found them.

Karena paused. "So here's what we're gonna do: I'm going to let you go." She nodded and smiled innocently at the admiral while Poe frowned, not pleased with her decision. "Yeah, I'm gonna let you go; however, you're going to do one thing for me." She set a firm hand on Bade's thigh, subtly using Force persuade. "You're going to travel to the _Finalizer_ and see Kylo Ren, and when you see him, you're going to tell him that he can change his name and put on a mask, but he's still the same scared, lonely child he's always been. You got that?" Bade nodded. "Fantastic." She stood up straight and clocked him with the blaster, knocking Bade out.

Poe stood, frowning and grabbing her forearm. "Come on, we need to leave."

Karena didn't argue as Poe dragged her out of the room and towards the nearest staircase, narrowly avoiding security guards seeing them as the door shut behind them. They hurried out of the hotel and casino then through the streets of Canto Bight to the spaceport and boarded the _Desert Dragon_.

The moment the loading ramp closed, Poe whipped around, glaring at her and ignoring the droids entering the cargo hold wanting to greet their owners. "What the hell was that back there?" Poe demanded to know. "We had the information we were sent to retrieve, and you kept going."

Since it was clear to the droids that their owners were going to argue, BB-8 backed away, watching them while Gray went to the cockpit to warm up the ship.

Karena's jaw clenched as she glared back. "I don't have to answer to you, _Commander_ ," she sneered in response. "Last time I checked, I outrank you."

"Yeah, in Resistance Intelligence, not the Starfighter Corps." He wanted to strangle her for avoiding the subject. "And I don't give a flying kriff about ranks anyway. I want to know what the hell you were thinking. He cracked quickly. We had no business being there any longer than we had to. And then you left him alive!"

"Oh, boohoo. Tell someone who actually cares." Karena waved her hand and shook her head. "Our main goal was Skywalker, yes, but that wasn't the only goal. Get used to not knowing everything before it comes back to bite you in the ass." He grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "Let go of me."

"Why do you care so much about Kylo Ren?" he asked, not letting her go.

"That is none of your business." Karena wrenched her arm out of his grip. Granted, it wasn't a tight grip anyway.

"You made it my business by jeopardizing the mission."

"I didn't jeopardize anything!"

"We were in his room for far too long," Poe explained harshly. "Any longer and we would've been caught by security. So yes, sweetheart, you jeopardized the mission. It's hard to do that for a simple recon mission, but you managed it by not being able to put aside whatever agenda you have." His dark eyes were hard-set on her. "I'm going to ask you again; why do you care about Kylo Ren?"

Before Karena could reply with a snarky attitude, alarms began blaring in the spaceport. Their eyes widened and Karena ran to the cockpit, almost running into BB-8. Poe followed behind her, stumbling as the ship lifted off and left the hangar before the hangar bay doors closed.

"Do you believe me now?" Poe asked as Karena flew through the air. "The guards must've woken up."

"Switch off!" Karena yelled as sirens sounded behind them. They were being followed by a police speeder.

She flew above the city, avoiding the space lanes, and the police speeder was joined by a ship. The ship started shooting at the _Desert Dragon_ before Karena was able to lift the shields.

A bolt rocked the ship as it struck the backside. "Kriff," Karena cursed as an alarm blared on the ship. She flicked a switch to bring the shields up and looked at what the alarm was alerting her to. "Something came loose."

"Either let me fly or let me fix it," Poe said, gripping the back of her chair to keep from falling over as she did evasive maneuvers to avoid getting hit again even with the deflector shields up. "You're going to have to let up on one of your rules."

She growled, gripping the wheel tight. "Fine. Take it." Karena stood and her spot was swiftly taken by Poe. "Gray help him. BB-8, come." Karena ran to engineering with the orange and white droid while Poe flew her ship.

Karena, with BB-8's help, stabilized part of the hyperdrive that had been knocked out of place from the blast hit. The moment it was back online, she pulled out the comlink and said, "Tell Gray to set hyperspace coordinates for Base." She locked the hyperdrive piece in place then hurried back to the cockpit in time to see Poe out-maneuver one of the police ships, causing two of them to knock into one another.

The ship left the atmosphere, and with the coordinates in the navi-computer set, Poe moved the ship into hyperspace.

Karena awkwardly cleared her throat and muttered, "That was, uh, good flying."

Poe's shoulders relaxed as he grinned, turning to look up at her. "What?"

"Don't make me say it again," she grumbled.

"You're warming up to me, I can tell."

* * *

Karena changed from the dress and jewelry into something comfortable to sleep in and cleaned off the minimalist makeup. She grabbed a small thing of food from the food cabinet then hid in her room. It would be a few hours before they arrived at D'Qar, and Gray would inform her when they were coming up on the planet.

On the bunk in her personal quarters, Karena stared up at the ceiling, playing through a memory in her mind. It had been so long ago, but every time she heard his blasted name, it pushed its way to the front, wanting to be remembered. Kelin didn't know about it, so he didn't understand the importance of the name Kylo. To Kelin, it was a name Ben had chosen when casting aside his family, but to Karena, it was a taunt. He twisted the name she had given him into something dark and corrupted. It had been their little secret while growing up, and now that they were older, it burned her, filling her with rage.

It had been the year 18 ABY. Karena was fourteen and Ben was thirteen. Kelin had been spending much of his time in the library for a few weeks, leaving Karena and Ben alone to their own devices, but they didn't always mind. Sometimes it wasn't bad.

"I wish I could be like you," Ben had said with his sad brown eyes while sitting on Karena's bed with his knees tucked up under his chin. "A real Skywalker."

"But you are one," Karena replied. "Aunt Leia's a Skywalker, so you're one, too."

"Not really. She doesn't go by Skywalker, and she and Uncle Luke didn't grow up together. And they named me Ben. He's your grandfather, not mine. And it's not even his real name, too."

Karena had looked at her sad younger cousin who felt like he didn't belong and came up with an idea. "Well, do you want a Skywalker name?"

Ben picked his eyes up, looking at her. "What do you mean?"

"So you can be like Kelin and me? We can give you a new name." She had said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. _Just change your name to something you want, to something that's you_. _Easy_.

Ben had shrugged, unsure. "What would it even be?" he asked.

"We can make it yours. You're a Skywalker and a Solo. A Solowalker." She shook her head, looking away. "No, that sounds weird." She thought over possible combinations or new names before deciding on one so he'd still be a Solo and Skywalker but with a new name. "What about Kylo? Kelin, Karena, and Kylo?"

His smile was infectious. "I like it. Kylo."


	5. Back on Base

30 ABY

About an hour before the ship was supposed to arrive at D'Qar, Karena left her quarters after changing back into her normal clothing, unable to sleep more than a few hours. Poe was playing dejarik in the common area with the two droids, perking up when he saw her emerge from hiding. He had an inkling feeling she had been hiding from him but didn't bring it up.

He did, however, get up and follow her into the cockpit, leaving the two droids to continue playing the game.

"Seems like BB-8 and Gray have become friends," Poe said amicably, trying to make conversation.

"Oh, really? How wonderful." Karena didn't really care, focusing on checking on her ship instead.

"Yeah, apparently Gray was just telling BB-8 that he used to belong to your mother along with this ship." Her hands stilled at his words. Poe noticed, leaning on the doorway as he continued to watch her. "I don't think your droid got the memo that you don't like your secrets shared."

Karena sighed and turned around in the seat. "Why do you care so much?" she asked.

That was an easy question for him to answer. "No one should be alone."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not alone."

"Yes, because a droid can fill in the gaps of a living companion." Poe's lips twitched up, trying not to smile in amusement at her continued hostility. "I can see why the General assigned me to you."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, looking around the cockpit. "You can probably complete any mission thrown your way without the help of anyone else, but you're closing yourself off in the process. Becoming cold, hostile, apathetic." He was familiar with the process because of his experiences as a teenager. Wanting to get off your home planet did that to you. "I may not be the nicest person, but I can be pretty irritating and curious, so of course she'd choose the one person stubborn enough to try and get through your walls."

Karena shook her head and turned back around, checking the shield levels and hoping Poe would leave her alone. "My walls are there for a reason."

"You've gotta let them down sometime," he continued. "Let yourself relax for once and make a friend."

"I don't need friends. Get that through your thick skull."

Poe moved around the chair and leaned on the dashboard, careful not to press any buttons or flick any switches in the process. "That sounds exactly like someone who does need a friend."

She glared up at him. "You are infuriating."

He beamed from ear to ear. "I know. It's one of my best qualities."

Karena couldn't help but snort then look away from him.

Poe simply continued smiling at her reaction. "You were about to laugh, admit it." She gave him a blank look, so he shrugged. "Fine, fine, be in denial, but we both know it." He nudged her shoulder as he stood up. "You're not so bad, sweetheart. Just gotta loosen up a little." Poe then left the cockpit, leaving Karena alone with her thoughts.

Karena was torn between strangling him and laughing at him. She rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had a feeling he'd never give up. But if he touched her again, she planned on hitting him.

* * *

When they landed at the Resistance Base on D'Qar, Poe followed closely behind Karena as he tried to get her to laugh. He had been trying for the past ten minutes with no luck. Little did he know, she found him and his excitement mildly entertaining, but it would only inflate his ego if she let him know it. She wasn't sure if his ego could get any bigger though.

"How do you unlock doors on Kashyyyk?" Poe asked as they descended the ramp. Karena didn't respond, taking in a slow breath to keep herself from slapping him. "With a Woo- _key_." When Karena still didn't laugh, Poe carried on, unfazed. "Why were Imperial pilots fed up with space battles? Because they always ended up in a TIE." He nudged her with his elbow, broadly grinning.

Karena socked him in the upper arm for touching her. "Ow!" Poe exclaimed, holding his arm. "Kriff. . ."

"Don't touch me," she said.

BB-8 and Gray chuckled behind their two owners. Poe turned around, glaring at the droids being amused at his pain, then turned back to Karena. "Fine, fine, what about this one: why was the droid angry?"

"Because people kept pushing its buttons," Karena grumbled. She'd heard plenty of the jokes before from Wedge and Hobbie while growing up. Karena eyed Poe as they walked across the tarmac, heading towards the Command Center. "What do you think will happen if you keep pushing my buttons?"

He flashed her a smile. "I'd be willing to find out."

Karena sighed and forged ahead, taking long strides and leaving him in the dust. Poe grinned at the droids before hurrying after her.

In the Command Center, they didn't see Leia or Kelin around, so Karena went up to Kaydel Ko Connix, an operations controller in Fleet Command and Kelin's best friend in the Resistance. While Kaydel was familiar with Karena and her closeness with Kelin and the General, she knew little to nothing about Karena beyond that even as Kelin's closest friend.

"Hey, Kaydel," Karena greeted. "Where's Kelin and Leia?"

Poe looked at Karena, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows pinched, almost baffled at Karena's nonchalance when talking to Connix. He wondered why she was so hostile and standoffish with him but not others. She hadn't even said his name yet and not just his first name; she hadn't said his last name either.

"They're in the General's office," Connix replied, still looking at her computer terminal. She paused what she was doing to face Karena and Poe. "You're free to go see her. It's not a private meeting. But can you tell her I need to speak with her when you're done? It's not urgent, but if she's not busy. . ." Connix trailed off and shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, of course," Karena said. "I'll tell Kel you're too busy for him." Connix chuckled lightly and returned to her work as Karena walked off towards Leia's office, followed closely by Poe and the droids like baby ducklings following their mom.

Outside the office, Karena sensed a tension in the Force from inside. She rapped her knuckles on the metal door before pressing the button to open it, not waiting for a reply. The door slid open and Karena walked in with Poe, the droids remaining outside.

Leia sat in the chair behind her desk while Kelin was leaning on it on his hands. They looked to have been in a heated discussion, and Karena refrained from groaning. The only times she ever caught her aunt and brother arguing or having a tense conversation was when the conversation was about her, never anything else. They agreed on everything except family.

Kelin straightened up, turning to Karena and Poe, and Leia stood from her seat.

"I hope we're not interrupting," Karena said blandly, particularly eyeing her twin with a pointed look as he moved away from the desk.

Kelin subtly glared at her, knowing what she was thinking. He could sense her discontent through the Force, the same as she could for him. He wasn't proud of arguing with his aunt about his sister, but if he didn't look after her, then who would? He knew Karena would rather be in a firefight every day if it meant avenging their mother, and Leia seemed to be fine letting her do it. So, Kelin would be damned if he didn't put a stopper in it as often as he could.

But unbeknownst to Kelin, Leia wasn't fine doing so. She simply knew that Karena would do it regardless of her wishes, so she tried her best to make sure Karena had the support and resources she needed. Neither were good with laying their feelings bare. Truth be told, the only Skywalker who was completely honest about their feelings and emotions had been Anakin, but that hadn't gotten him anywhere good.

Poe had never seen anyone in the midst of an argument with the General. It seemed blasphemous to even think of the possibility of arguing with her, even if he had come close a few times and knew he probably would end up doing it in the future once he became fully comfortable in the presence of a legend. But he'd never seen it actually happen. Poe didn't know if he should respect Colonel Aput for having the guts to argue with her, or if he shouldn't like him for the exact same reason.

The door slid shut behind them as Leia said, "No, you're not interrupting anything. Welcome back. Mission report?"

"Admiral Bade didn't know anything aside from Snoke being interested in searching for Skywalker," Karena relayed. "According to him, Snoke has only trusted his plans with a few people, including General Hux and Kylo Ren."

Poe didn't miss the tension increase in the room at the sound of Ren's name.

"And there were a few hiccups when getting off-planet, but nothing we couldn't handle," Karena finished.

Leia's eyes drifted to Poe who hadn't spoken since entering the office. "Anything to add, Commander Dameron?" she asked.

Poe glanced at Karena who looked at him with a stoic expression. She didn't give any hint to how she wanted him to respond, not for or against the information she had gleaned from the admiral about Kylo Ren being shared with Leia.

Poe looked back at Leia. "No, General Organa," he answered. "Nothing to add."

Karena imperceptibly relaxed at his words. She didn't quite want Leia to know that on top of her regular missions, she was basically hunting down Leia's son, but she didn't think she'd have been able to keep Poe from revealing it.

Based on Poe glancing at Karena and Karena's hands losing their tightness, Leia knew there was something they weren't saying but decided against pressing it. If it was important information for the Resistance to know, she knew they'd report it. Regardless of them keeping something to themselves, Leia was almost proud to find out that Karena had bonded with someone enough to have a secret with them.

Kelin didn't like it one bit, close to glaring at the pilot standing beside his sister. Poe noticed the reaction but didn't react to it, staying silent once again.

"Thank you," Leia said with a nod. "You're both dismissed."

Poe and Karena nodded in unison then made their way towards the door.

"Connix would like a word when you have a moment," Karena remembered, looking back at her aunt.

Leia waved. "Right, I'll be out to see her in a minute."

With that, Karena and Poe left the office and began walking down the hall with their droids following.

Once a short distance away from Leia's office, Karena turned to Poe, stopping in the hall. Poe stopped as well, looking at her with a curious expression.

Karena took in a slow breath and said, "Thanks. . . for not. . ."

"Yeah," Poe replied, nodding and understanding her meaning.

The corner of her mouth twitched as though she almost smiled then she turned and walked away. Poe watched her and her droid travel down the hall, not quite wanting her to leave but not knowing what else he could say.

Karena glanced back at him before turning a corner, not quite sure what to make of the pilot.

* * *

Scrubbing the exhaust vents on her ship proved to be a good distraction when Karena didn't hear or sense Snap coming up behind her. She had been so focused on cleaning the buildup in the vents, lost in her thoughts, that when Snap came up behind her and tapped her shoulder, Karena almost punched him in the throat as she spun around.

She sighed and shook her head, lowering her fist as she looked at the older man. "Blast! Snap, don't do that," Karena scolded, her eyes narrowing.

Even peeved at him sneaking up on her, Karena was pleased to see him. Most of the times that Wedge visited Yavin IV, Snap went along, too. He was sort of an older brother to her and Kelin at age forty-one compared to the twins at twenty-six.

Snap smiled at her, holding up a medium-sized container with a fork on top of it. "They just served lunch in the mess hall, and I didn't see you there," he explained. "Thought you might like something warm to eat for once." He gently wiggled it in his hand, coaxing her to take it.

Karena rolled her eyes and smiled, grabbing the container. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He paused, looking at her for a moment. "Now, tell me all about the mission."

She groaned and began making her way towards the loading ramp. "Bribing me with food? That's low."

Snap sidled up next to her as they walked up the ramp into the ship. He hadn't been in the _Desert Dragon_ in what seemed like forever, and even then, it had been only once or twice. "You know you want to talk to someone about it," he prodded, walking into the common area with her.

They sat on the bench around the dejarik table, Karena prying open the container to reveal deep-fried nuna legs, pashi noodles, and roasted chando peppers. Karena groaned at the smell of it. "I haven't had warm, cooked food in at least a month," she said.

"I kind of figured." Snap leaned on the table as Karena began to eat. "Are you going to spill now, or what? Saw Poe in the mess hall, not as chipper as usual. Seemed lost in thought. And one thing that man doesn't do is think."

Karena snorted and chuckled, swirling some noodles on the fork. "Must be thinking about how infuriating I am to work with."

"You? Infuriating?" Snap repeated, his eyebrows pinching together and head tilted. "If anyone's infuriating to work with, it's him."

She smiled. "You're not on the receiving end of my silence and apathy." She brought up a mouthful of noodles, shoving the food into her mouth. "Almost everyone else is."

Snap shook his head, sighing. "Sometimes I forget that you lack manners, being raised by a bounty hunter and a farmhand. Swallow your food before talking."

Karena swallowed the pasta and gave him an attitude-riddled grin. "Yes, Dad." Snap groaned and shook his head again. "You know, you are technically old enough to be my father. It's, what, a fifteen-year difference? Who'd you knock up as a teenager?"

"I shudder to think what having you as a daughter would be like," Snap retorted. He then poked her shoulder a few times. "Come on, I wanna know what happened." Despite being older than her by fifteen years, he could be more childish than her more often than not.

Karena rolled her eyes, picking at the chando peppers. "Fine," she conceded. "We went to Canto Bight, interrogated a First Order admiral there on a mixture of business and pleasure. Poe wasn't too happy about me leaving him alive, but then again, he'd been pretty frustrated with my lack of straight answers since he first boarded the ship. Then we returned to Base. It was a pretty cut and dry recon mission, Snap. I don't know what you're expecting to hear."

"Something a little more interesting than 'cut and dry,' that's for sure," he answered. "Not just anything can silence Poe Dameron. The man talks more than a toddler who just learned how to speak. I would accuse him of liking the sound of his own voice, but I'm pretty sure he just has no filter."

Karena narrowed her eyes at the man next to her. "Is he seriously acting so uncharacteristically?"

Snap's nod verged on erratic; his eyes wide. "Yeah, it's strange. And the last thing he did was get back from the mission with you and meet with Leia." He looked at her with a calculating expression. "Did you say something to him?"

"What could I have said that got the flyboy to shut up?" Karena asked. "He didn't stop talking for most of the trip. I doubt I hurt his feelings." But she was the likely cause for his newfound silence and thoughtfulness, especially since, for whatever reason, he had covered for her.

"That's probably true." Snap tapped the table, thinking. "What do you think of him? Except him being a flyboy, of course."

What did she think of Poe Dameron? That was a good question. She didn't really think much of him. She barely knew him. But he was a good pilot and seemed to have a good heart. While a little hot-headed, he wasn't bad to be around. He was also extremely attractive. And his last name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"He's an. . . interesting character," she decided on.

"That's a good, neutral descriptor." Snap nudged her with his elbow. "What do you really think of him?"

"Why do you want to know?" Karena asked, hand stilling in the air with a roasted chando pepper.

He shrugged. "Call me curious. He trained under Wedge just like you, after all."

She sighed and set down the fork on the container of half-eaten food. "He's infuriating and headstrong, and I want to strangle him half the time, but he seems like a good man."

* * *

Later that night, Karena and Gray were tuning the shield generator of the _Desert Dragon_. Snap had long left her to her own devices a few hours prior, having to take care of a few things before nightfall and returning the empty food container to the mess hall for her. She didn't want to mingle or walk around the base, so she hid away in her ship, almost constantly working on it. It had been a while since its last real check-up and touch-up.

As she tightened one of the bolts, she heard and felt the loading ramp open. Straightening up, Karena sensed Kelin boarding the ship. He closed the loading ramp behind him since the temperature was dropping as the night grew darker.

Kelin walked into the engineering area of the ship, seeing his sister on her knees as she used a wrench to tighten a bolt of what looked like a shield generator, but Kelin wasn't a hundred percent sure. She was the mechanic, not him. And half of the parts of the _Desert Dragon_ didn't look like standard equipment, so who even knew besides Karena?

Gray whistled a greeting, and Kelin said, "Hey, Gray. Hope she's not working you too hard?"

"What do you want, Kel?" Karena asked, not looking away from her work as she moved on to opening the energy regulator of the generator with a screwdriver.

"Can't I visit my sister?"

"You usually want something when you willingly step foot in the _Dragon_ , so no, you can't," Karena answered, finally turning around after setting down her tool. "You got another mission for me?"

Kelin had never seen his sister so exhausted with pale skin and bags under her eyes. "Auntie is ordering you to take a few days of rest before we give you another mission." She was about to argue, but he held up his hand and continued talking. "It's an order, not a request. She's not going to take it back. You look like you were run over by reek."

"I'm fine, Kel," Karena tried to reassure.

"No, you're not. It's a few days. It won't kill you." Kelin suspected she might shoot him with one of her blasters if she knew it was him who convinced Leia to enforce the leave time, so he kept that part to himself.

Karena did, however, have a feeling he was there for another reason. "What else is there?"

"What didn't you tell Aunt Leia?" he asked.

She wasn't surprised to hear that question. "Nothing. I told her everything."

Kelin narrowed his eyes, his jaw twitching. She was a good liar, he had to give her that, but he knew her better than anyone. "Hiding something from Auntie, I understand, but hiding something from me? Really?"

Karena shrugged and sighed, moving to lean against the rail on the platform keeping people from falling against the engine. "I don't have to tell you everything, Kelin."

"No, but you usually do," he countered, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, well, maybe I don't want to anymore."

Kelin balked, shaking his head as he took in her words. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have his exasperating sister around considering she hadn't been on D'Qar for months and kept the communications with Base to a minimum. Now that she was back, he almost didn't know how to react. Something was bothering her, that was the only explanation.

He studied her for a moment, contemplating what to ask next. "Did Dameron do something?" he settled on.

"What, no!" She couldn't believe he had asked that like she would let someone she just met do something to upset her. Sure, Poe had gotten her thinking, but he hadn't done anything wrong besides annoying her.

Kelin wildly shrugged. "Then what are you hiding? If it wasn't Dameron, then what's gotten into you?"

"You wouldn't understand." Karena turned around, wanting to get back to her repairs and upgrades.

"Then help me understand." Kelin took a few steps forward, grabbing her arm to make her look at him. "Ren, please." He looked at her with his pleading blue eyes.

Karena pulled out of his grip and glared, backing away from her brother. "Don't call me that."

"Why?" Kelin asked. "I've always called you that. It's not going to stop just because Ben's using it, too. You shouldn't have to change it." He watched her expression morph from pure rage to something sadder. Kelin gingerly took a step forward. "That's what this is about, huh? Ben."

Karena sighed harshly, running a hand through her hair. She looked away from Kelin, setting her hands on the rail and staring forward at the ship's engine. "I asked Bade about him," she finally said in a low voice, almost as if Leia was nearby and she didn't want her to hear. "Learned his ship's name."

"And?" Kelin pressed, knowing that wasn't it.

"And how he's temperamental and volatile." Karena nibbled on her lip as she white-knuckled the rail in front of her.

Kelin knew she was holding something back again. He leaned on the rail next to her and lowered his voice to something softer, more caring. "What else is there?"

"I. . . I sent Bade to go see him," she revealed, looking up at her brother. Tears pricked at her eyes but didn't fall. "I used the Force to convince Bade to go tell him he's a scared child just like he's always been."

"Karena. . ." Kelin reached out, meaning to take his sister into his arms to hug her, but her arm twitched when he touched her shoulder, so he didn't.

"I know I shouldn't have, and I probably got Bade sentenced to death, but I had to." Karena drew in a deep breath, letting the Force calm her. Her guilt and remorse shifted into anger. Her jaw and gaze hardened. "Sooner or later, he'll see me again. I needed him to know I haven't forgotten. I needed him to know I'm coming for him."


	6. Warming Up

30 ABY

Just because Leia had ordered Karena to stay a few days on base without a mission didn't mean she would actually be resting for any of her time spent not out in the galaxy being productive, so when Karena wasn't eating, sleeping, or working on her ship, she was in the fitness center. It was only busy in the morning due to most Resistance personnel wanting to work out before going about their duties during the day and being exhausted by the time their workday ended, and after lunch, it was absolutely empty. No one would try to work out right after eating.

So, Karena was left alone. She preferred it that way anyway. She could eat when she was done.

With her hair up and wearing cropped leggings and a tank top, she felt a little exposed since most of her scars from over the years were visible across her calves, arms, and upper back, but the only one that mattered, the one across her stomach that reached the top of her thigh, the one from her cousin, was still hidden.

Again and again, Karena lifted her body on the pull-up bar until her muscles began to cry, and even then, she didn't stop until her concentration was broken by someone entering the room. Even if she didn't hear them bump into something, she could feel them through the Force.

Poe kriffing Dameron.

For the first day of Karena's enforced leave time, she had avoided him. Avoided talking to him, avoiding seeing him, avoiding being near him. She didn't want to listen to his questions or see his attractive, smug face. Now, on the second day, she realized it was a hopeful, unrealistic thought.

Karena held her chin up over the bar for a few seconds, taking in a few slow breaths and readying herself to turn around to see him. She then dropped down, instinctually using the Force to cushion her fall so she was dead silent and her ankles weren't impacted. Turning around with a deadpan expression, Karena spotted Poe standing nearby with a sweat towel and a water bottle with his comlink hanging from the lid.

"Guess I'm not the only one who figured out the best time to get a quiet workout around here," Poe said offhandedly with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"Guess not," Karena clipped.

They stood there for a few seconds, eyeing each other, or rather checking each other out.

When walking into the fitness center, Poe had been distracted by seeing her and hit his knee walking into a bench for lifting weights. Similar to her dress on Cantonica, he was able to see the faded scarring on her well-sculpted arms, but that didn't compare to seeing the tight pants around her thighs and ass. If he hadn't walked into something, he probably would've embarrassed himself further by getting caught staring like an imbecile.

Unlike the clothes Karena had seen him wear up to that point, his standard-issue shorts and sleeveless shirt actually showed the defined muscles in his legs and arms. And they were a nice sight to see, tanned and firm. His perpetual stubble covering his strong jaw didn't help. Seeing him reminded her she hadn't been with a man in months.

Karena was the first to break off the staring, sharply turning away and fixing the wraps around her hands as she moved on to the punching bag nearby, feeling a sudden urge to hit and kick something.

Upon seeing her back again, Poe spotted something on the back of her neck as her ponytail swung from side to side. About the size of a palm and triangular in shape, Poe realized it was a tattoo. He hadn't seen it with her hair down.

Before thinking, he asked, "What's the tattoo on your neck?"

"Don't see why that's any of your business." Karena continued throwing a few punches and elbow hits at the bag in front of her.

Poe should've seen that coming.

After watching her throw a few swings at the punching bag, he had an idea. "If you want to hit something, you can use me," Poe suggested. "It'll probably be more of a challenge than an inanimate object."

Karena stilled the bag, grabbing it with her hands, then turned to look at him skeptically, her eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed. "What? Did you just tell me to hit you?"

"Well, I meant more like sparring, but yeah, basically." Poe shrugged and shifted his footing.

"Don't you have anything better to do? Like your job?" she asked.

"I'd rather work two hours later instead of being exhausted when trying to get a workout in after," he answered simply. "Sweetheart, what have you got to lose? It's just a spar." Poe, with a smug grin, made his way over to the training mat in the center of the room, noticing her grow annoyed at his continued use of the nickname 'sweetheart.'

Considering the Resistance trained soldiers as well as pilots, the training mat and the individual training rooms got used quite a bit. Poe set his towel and water bottle down at the edge of the mat and looked at Karena expectantly who was still eyeing him warily from the punching bag.

He gestured to the mat. "Come on, sweetheart. I don't bite." Poe then reconsidered his statement. "Unless you want me to."

Karena's jaw twitched. _Kriffing pilots_. She wanted to strangle him. Forcing herself to relax, Karena begrudgingly walked over to the training mat, standing opposite of Poe.

He broadly grinned and said, "Knew you'd come around."

Karena didn't reply, choosing to resume a relaxed fighting stance with her hands out in front of her, knees mildly bent, and legs shoulder-width apart.

"I don't mean to tell you how to fight, but shouldn't you be making an actual fist in order to hit me?" Poe asked, entering a firmer, more competitive fighting stance. His said 'soldier' mixed with 'street fighter' while hers said 'I don't really care' mixed with 'martial arts.'

"Who said I'd be hitting you?" she countered, lifting an eyebrow.

He frowned. "How do you plan on taking me down then?"

"I don't need to land a punch to take you down, _Commander_. You'll be on your back by the time we're done." She almost smacked herself once she stopped talking but chose to ignore what she had said. It had just spilled out without her thinking.

Poe, on the other hand, did not ignore it. His eyebrows skyrocketed at the double entendre. He could tell she hadn't meant it in the more sexual way, but kriff, did he still like hearing it. A small smirk twisted at his lips as he easily thought up a retort. "Or you'll be under me, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough, sweetheart."

Karena wanted to glare, but she had to admit it was a decent comeback and the banter was entertaining. She made a 'come at me' motion as she took a few steps forward on the balls of her feet.

Poe moved forward, rocking tentatively on his feet. He hadn't seen her fight before, only hearing her take down Bade and his guards, and throwing a few punches at a punching bag didn't count, so he had no idea what to expect from the oddly mysterious, attractive blonde woman in front of him.

Karena could tell exactly what to expect from him, though. Strong punches, spontaneity, and scrappiness. The more she interacted with Poe, the more she could tell he was more than simply a Resistance pilot. You don't learn fancy or difficult tricks for flying without getting around, and you definitely don't learn them in the New Republic Defense Fleet.

Poe threw the first punch, to which Karena dodged and grabbed his arm, flipping him over her shoulder. He hit the mat with a thud and a groan.

"Guess we found out," Karena snarked, standing over him.

She sensed it through the Force before he did it. Poe attempted to sweep her, but she swiftly jumped over his legs without a second thought.

"Oh, for kriffs sake," he muttered to himself when that attempt failed. He hopped up onto his feet, resuming his stance and trying again and again and again.

Karena toyed with him by dodging, blocking, and parrying each throw and not fighting back, Poe growing increasingly frustrated. When he tried to knee her in the stomach, she hooked her arm under his leg and threw him down to the mat.

He glared at her as he climbed up off the floor, rolling his sore shoulder and groaning. "Seriously, where did you learn to fight?" he asked. "Or dodge?"

"My mom," Karena muttered fixing the wraps on her hands.

Poe looked at her while rubbing his shoulder. He hadn't quite heard her clearly, but he swore she had actually given him a straight answer for once. "What?"

She gave him a blank look as she tightened the wraps. "My mom is the one who taught me how to fight." She didn't know why she felt the need to answer him honestly, but she took pride in having been trained by her mother, someone she had always looked up to when growing up in the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV. She didn't feel the need to hide that.

Poe looked at her with a mixture of shock and fondness which annoyed her.

"Are you going to fail again or what?" Karena asked, readying her stance again.

Poe tried a few more times to even land a decent hit on her that she didn't allow for the sake of gaining the upper hand, but it was all in vain. While it was frustrating to him, he also found it entertaining and fun, seeing the way she moved and how focused she looked.

Finally, she hooked her leg behind him and pushed, sending him to the ground but not before he grabbed ahold of her wrist and pulled her down with him. The moment his back touched the mat, they grappled and she pinned him with her knee on his arm, elbow on his throat, and other arm holding his wrist.

He was tempted to struggle some more, but Poe couldn't say he disliked her on top of him. "Having fun up there, sweetheart?" he asked cheekily.

Against Karena's better judgment, she indulged him, leaning down and whispering in his ear, "Always." She then climbed off of him and they resumed.

During their sparring session, unbeknownst to them, Snap had been trying to reach Poe on his comlink, not getting an answer due to Poe being distracted and having put his comlink on silent, so he hadn't noticed the light flashing. That meant Snap had set out to find the commander, along with four new pilots that had just arrived, the four new pilots that Poe had completely forgotten were arriving that day.

Snap and the new pilots eventually made it to the fitness center in time to see Karena sweep Poe's legs out from underneath him, causing him to land on his back yet again.

"Poe, you're supposed to be showing around the new pilots," Snap called out as he walked over to the mat, "not getting your ass handed to you by Vornskr." Snap wasn't angry or anything. He was incredibly amused at what he got to witness. Snap gestured to the pilot commander, glancing at the four newbies standing by him. "Recruits, this is Commander Poe Dameron, callsign Black Leader. He's the leader of Red and Blue Squadron." He then gestured to the blonde woman. "And this is Vornskr, our head espionage and intelligence expert."

"You mean a spy?" one of the newbies said as Poe stood up from the mat.

"Yes, I mean a spy," Snap conceded, a little annoyed at the recruit's lack of imagination. "The other way sounded more epic."

"Yes, because my goal in life is to sound epic," Karena cut in blandly. "Thanks, Snap."

Snap flashed her a smile. "Always a pleasure. Now, I'm going to steal your punching bag from you."

"Eh, he's more like a training dummy."

"I hate you both," Poe said, glaring between the two.

Karena raised an eyebrow at Poe as he grabbed his sweat towel and water bottle, his eyes not leaving hers. "Until next time, _Commander_."

* * *

31 ABY

The moment her mandatory leave was over, Karena had set out on a new mission: tracking underground black market dealings with the First Order. With the help of Gray, she learned who was selling what to the First Order, at least for the more repetitive deals. The First Order was buying a large number of weapon components, but Karena couldn't figure out for what sort of weapon. Whatever the First Order was building, it couldn't be good.

About a month and a half after she had left, Karena returned to the Resistance base on D'Qar with the pieced together information, missing the New Year's celebration on the base a week prior. Truth be told, she avoided the celebration by elongating her mission by a few days; otherwise, she could've arrived back the day of the merriment.

New Year's for the galaxy was a strange thing to celebrate considering each planet had its own orbital period and a standard day and year were based on the cycles of the planet Coruscant which was a Core World, and D'Qar was in the Outer Rim, but the celebration and partying brought sentients from all across the galaxy together. Few people would pass up the opportunity to drink and have fun.

Karena was one who was content to avoid it. She had better things to do. And after her briefing with Leia, she wanted to hide away in her ship until she was issued her next mission.

But Poe kriffing Dameron had other ideas.

Poe was the type of person who was always up for a fun time, sometimes verging on reckless. To most people, it was like a breath of fresh air while living on a military base and being around constant dire circumstances and the rising threat of a powerful group set on ruling the galaxy. And the moment Karena had arrived back on base, he had every intention of getting her to relax.

Once Karena's briefing with Leia concluded, she started towards her ship in one of the hangar bays, but Poe intercepted her on the way.

"Would you like to have a drink with me?" he asked, skipping over pleasantries.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, still forging ahead towards the _Desert Dragon_. "If this is some elaborate ploy to get me drunk to spill my secrets-"

"No, no," he quickly interjected, waving his hands and walking in front of her backward in order to look her in the eye. "Believe it or not, I like your company, sweetheart. We don't even have to talk. We can just sit there staring at our drinks."

Karena slowed to a stop, thinking over the proposition, and Poe waited patiently for her answer. The sun would be setting in an hour, things were winding down around the base, and she hadn't been able to enjoy alcohol for a while. And while her company could be a little annoying, it wouldn't be unpleasant. She just had to remember to grab Gray from the Command Center before turning in for the night.

"I'd like that," she eventually agreed. "As long as you're buying." As if he didn't have his own stashes of alcohol hidden in his personnel quarters just like every other officer on base. He didn't have to buy any from the galley.

Poe grinned, chuckling at her condition. "Of course, sweetheart. Meet me up top Hangar Bay 3 in five minutes."

As he dashed off, she wondered if he'd ever stop calling her thought. She also wondered how he knew what hangar bay her ship was in or if he had chosen randomly. She had only been on the base for about half an hour.

Regardless, Karena begrudgingly made her way up to the top of the hangar bay. No one saw her walking up the grassy hill covering the hangar as most people were inside the base already. The area was flat but covered in grass, making it hard to tell there was a large military base from any ships in orbit. The rest of the base was underground, aside from the landing areas and antenna arrays. The jungle foliage surrounding the facility made it difficult for them to be discovered by air or ground sensors and concealed potential power leaks.

And from on top of the hangar bay, Karena could see out into the vast jungle. It reminded her of Yavin IV. It reminded her of home. The sun dipped low on the horizon as Karena sat in the grass and stared at the jungle surrounding the base, thinking of her times running through the Yavin IV jungle with Kelin, Ben, and Jacen. She wanted to go back to simpler times.

"Sweetheart, I didn't drag you up here to be sad."

Karena twitched as she was pulled out of her thoughts. Turning her head, she spotted Poe walking over carrying two bottles and two glasses.

"I'm not sad," she argued, turning back to the jungle and fixing her expression to something more stoic.

Poe sat down next to her, placing the bottles and glasses in front of them. Karena then saw they were Dodbri whiskey and Chadian rum. On the cheaper side of alcohol but probably far easier to get when living on a military base.

"Your face says otherwise," Poe told her, shifting in his spot to get comfortable. He looked at her, his eyes soft as he studied the hard lines on her face. "You're from a jungle planet, aren't you? Reminds you of home?"

Karena looked down at her hands as they picked at the black wrapping around her boots. "How could you tell?"

"It's the same for me," Poe answered. She looked up at him and he explained further, not like she had asked but because he wanted to. "I'm from a colony on Yavin IV. The jungle here is eerily similar. So much so that it seems like if I walk a few clicks I'll be back home. It helps that both are practically devoid of humans and both served as military bases, too."

_I'm from a colony on Yavin IV_.

The statement echoed in Karena's mind, and she realized why she recognized the name Dameron. Poe was Kes Dameron and Shara Bey's son. She felt stupid for not realizing it earlier. Kes had been the one to look after her and Kelin before Leia, Wedge, and Hobbie arrived that fateful night at the Jedi Praxeum. His parents had been friends with hers. They had played together as children.

_Could that be why he cares so much about getting to know me?_ she asked herself. _Because he remembers me from Yavin IV?_

The answer would be no if she asked him. Poe didn't remember her or at least didn't remember anything concrete. He only remembered playing with some kids around his age. He didn't remember their parent's names or what they looked like or even their names. He was a young child after all. None of that mattered when you were running around playing or climbing trees. And after his mother died, it wasn't like he saw them again anyway.

He didn't know, but they had begun their Jedi training. Since they practically disappeared overnight to him, Poe chalked it up to them being his imaginary friends or some kids who had moved out of the colony. Neither explanation had fit perfectly to him, so he didn't dwell on it.

_Maybe he wouldn't be bad to get to know_ , she thought.

Karena watched him carefully for a few seconds, waiting to see if he added anything else, but when he didn't, she reached for the Chadian rum.

Poe chuckled as she opened the bottle. "That's a good choice. Brought both since I didn't know what you'd prefer."

Just like he offered earlier, they didn't talk as they drank the rum, watching as the sun dipped lower and lower until it began to set and letting the smooth liquor slide down their throats and make them feel warm.

Karena felt herself relaxing for once and was tempted to use the Force to nullify the effects of the alcohol, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't want to be tense. She wanted to feel the tranquility only achieved with peace of mind.

Poe couldn't have used the Force to stop the effects even if he wanted to. But even as the rum worked it's way into his system as the bottle began to near empty, he still enjoyed staring at the pretty woman next to him as she lost the hardness in her expression and he found it increasingly difficult to sit up straight.

The sky lit up in purples and reds as the sun set.

"Karena," she finally said. She felt the need to say it. She didn't know if she'd regret later, but she wanted to tell someone. She wanted more than just her family and a few of the officers to know her name, to know her. And she no longer felt content to sit there in silence, even with the pretty sunset in front of them to stare at and lose themselves. She wanted to talk so badly, she felt ready to burst as she moved from melancholy to giggly.

"What?" Poe asked, tearing his gaze away from the sky above the treeline.

Karena fingered the glass in her hand. "My name, it's Karena."

Poe grinned and nudged her arm with his. "It's beautiful. Suits you." He booped her on the shoulder.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but they didn't hold any contempt or annoyance. "Are you trying to flatter me?" she asked.

"Always." He gave her an exaggerated wink.

A small giggle erupted from her as she leaned forward. "You're truly one of a kind, Commander."

Poe reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. "You should smile more often, sweetheart. Absolutely gorgeous like this sunset." She shoved him away, still smiling. "Call me Poe."

"Poe," she repeated, tilting her head back and forth as she took another sip. "Poe. Poe Poe. So, no, go, show, though, grow, slow-"

"I am not slow," Poe interrupted indignantly, sitting up straight. "Can I prove it, I mean, I mean, I can prove it. I can."

"Oh, can you?" She playfully glared and pointed at him. "I'm faster. I'm fastest. I'm, I'm faster than everyone. Faster than you, faster than Snap, an-and family, and Gray. I want more." Karena hiccuped and reached forward, grabbing the rum bottle and pouring the last of the rum into her glass, but it only filled it up a quarter of the way. She pouted as she set aside the empty bottle and looked at the contents of her glass, then she looked up to see the still full bottle of Dodbri whiskey in front of them and beamed. "Oh, there's more!"

As she reached for the whiskey bottle, Poe grabbed it first, snatching it from the grass and hugging it to his chest. "Ha, I'm faster!"

"No, I need more," she pouted. "Too many feelings. I-I don't wanna feel. I wanna, I wanna be happy. I'm never happy. Al-alco-alhol makes me happy. I need it. Please?" She looked him with pleading eyes and her bottom lip sticking out.

He leaned closer to her, holding the bottle behind his back and looking into her eyes. He could stare into her eyes forever. At his close proximity, Karena's bottom lip receded back to normal. She could feel his breath on her face.

"And I want a hug. Do I get a hug?" Poe asked quietly. Karena smiled and giggled a little but nodded. "I don't believe you. Terrible liar." He leaned back, still gripping the bottle in his hand.

Karena giggled again, louder that time. "I'm the terrible liar? You can't lie to save your life, and you always talk. How, how can someone who talks so much not lie well? How's that work?"

"What are you talking about? I-I can lie. I can totally lie. I'm the best liar in the Resistance." Poe wrapped both his arms around her, forcing her to accept a hug. "Take that back and I'll let you go."

"Nope!" Karena exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Never."

"Then you'll be forced to live in this hug forever, sweetheart."

"I like hugs," she said matter-of-factly while staring off towards the jungle. "I don't get 'em a lot though. I want 'em more often, and I-I want more to drink, too." Poe handed her the bottle of whiskey, and she perked up, immediately opening the bottle and pouring it into her glass, mixing the rum and whiskey. Meanwhile, Poe kept his arms wrapped around her and set his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling her head with his, and she let him.

Eventually, the two drunk Resistance personnel made the decision to turn in for the night. Sort of.

It was passed midnight when Karena carried the half-empty bottle of Dodbri whiskey as they stumbled down the hill to the tarmac, shushing each other as they went with varying levels of volume and laughter. Every time Poe grabbed Karena's free hand, wrapped his arm around her, or flirted, she pushed him away and staggered while laughing.

They entered Hangar Bay 3 which was empty aside from the ships housed inside. It was quiet except for their footsteps and giggles echoing throughout the hangar as they made their way to the _Desert Dragon_. They didn't even know what they were laughing at, just anything and everything as they bumped into the occasional crate or speeder on their way to Karena's ship.

When Karena pressed the button to lower the loading ramp, because even her drunk self knew she wouldn't successfully climb up through the access hatch, Poe hugged her again.

"Guess this is g'night, sweetheart," he not-so-quietly whispered in her ear. He didn't want to move or let her go. He liked having his arms wrapped around her torso.

He was about to pull away from the hug when she slid her arms around him, hugging him back.

Pulling out of the hug, she looked up at the pilot in front of her, eyes tracing his chiseled jaw and sexy stubble. Her alcohol-fuddled brain liked the strength of his hands and the warmth of his embrace. And she wanted more.

Poe felt tempted to kiss her. But even drunk, he thought it was a bad idea since he didn't know how she'd react.

Thankfully for him, he didn't have to think about it. Karena brought her arms up from his waist to his shoulders and shot up to attach her lips to his. Poe made a noise of surprise but kissed her back insistently, feverishly, pulling her body closer to his.


	7. The Fallout

31 ABY

With a pounding headache and aching limbs, Karena's eyes slowly opened. Her eyelids were heavy, and she didn't feel like moving one bit as she took stock of her surroundings.

In her bed. _Check_. On her ship. _Check_. Hungover. _Check_. Without clothes. _What?_ A warm body cuddled up against her back. _Hold up_.

Karena's snapped wide open, and she looked down at the arm draped across her stomach, covering most of her ugly lightsaber scar. With tanned skin, dark hair, and minor scarring on his arm, she knew the blasted arm belonged to Poe without having to be fully aware of his unique Force signature or turn around to see his attractive face.

The previous night slowly pieced itself back together in her mind. He had asked her to drink with him and they got plastered without particularly meaning to. She told him her name, revealed some of her inner thoughts which she probably shouldn't have done, and allowed a good portion of his drunk affection, all culminating into her kissing him.

He wasn't the one who kissed her as one might expect. No, no, she kissed him like the touch and affection-starved former-Jedi she is.

She had sex with the pilot.

Karena Skywalker had sex with Poe Dameron.

And she _liked_ it.

The pounding in her head increased, so she begrudgingly turned slowly to look back at the man cuddling her. Her chest felt heavy and her gut-wrenched while looking at his completely tranquil, sleeping features. He was most certainly attractive. Very attractive. Almost to the point that it hurt to look at him, attractive. With his messy curls and the stubble paired with the smug smirk he usually wore, Karena understood her drunk self's thinking even if she was a little peeved at herself.

She had just wanted to be without her anger for a short while and ended up in bed with easily the most attractive man on the Resistance base.

Sighing, she started to extract herself from him. Karena froze as Poe shifted in his sleep, tightening his arm around her waist and nuzzling his face against her hair.

Of course, Poe in every state was the cuddly, affectionate type, making him even more attractive. Why hadn't she seen it coming? Sober Poe with his playful nudges, hugging his friends, and flirting, Drunk Poe with his constant hugging and overly sweet words, and Sleeping Poe with his cuddling and nuzzling. He was like a Carosi pup or Tooka.

"Kriff, Poe, seriously?" Karena muttered, annoyed at his affection when she's trying to leave him. Sure, she liked affection, and she didn't get it as often as she'd like, but she wasn't sure how she felt about sleeping with Poe yet. And she couldn't figure that out while in his arms, as strong and warm and comforting as his embrace might have been.

Grabbing his wrist, she used the Force to keep him asleep while climbing out of her bed. The cold air caused her to shiver once she was no longer under the blanket and pressed against Poe's warm body. She then opened the small wardrobe, grabbed clothes, and went to the refresher.

Once showered and dressed, Karena collected the clothing strewn about the ship, putting his in a neat pile beside the bed and hers in the basket with other dirty clothes. She glared at what was left of the whiskey sitting on the dejarik table when she noticed it.

Karena exited the _Desert Dragon_ in search of her brother. She needed someone to talk to.

Based on the lack of wandering personnel, she assumed it was still early in the morning, but she knew Kelin would be awake. He always woke up before dawn to meditate.

As she turned a corner towards the officer quarters, Karena hit her shin on something. "Blast!" she cursed, reaching down to rub her shin and noticing that she had run into BB-8, Poe's droid. She straightened and the droid backed up, looking at her. "Good morning, Bee." BB-8 beeped and whistled, greeting her excitedly before asking if she had seen Poe around. "Uh, no, sorry. I'll keep an eye out. Sorry, I've gotta go." Karena hurried away, leaving the droid behind who watched her walk away.

She felt bad for lying to the adorable droid as he was just looking for his master, but there was no way, under any circumstances, she would tell the droid he was naked in her bed sleeping.

At her brother's personal quarters, she knocked incessantly. The door quickly slid open to reveal a disgruntled Kelin.

"What?" he asked harshly, glaring at her for interrupting his meditation.

"We need to talk," she replied, wringing her hands.

Kelin moved to the side to let her in. "What did you do?"

Walking into the room and before she could answer Kelin's slightly rude question, Karena was greeted by Gray beeping about how she never came back for him in the Command Center like she said she would. He was in the middle of being outfitted with the most recent Resistance clearance codes and procedures when she had been pulled away by Poe to drink. She hadn't thought she'd get seriously drunk and forget about her droid.

"I'm sorry, Gray," Karena said, petting the top of his head. "It was a, uh, rough night. I'll give you an oil bath to make up for it." That seemed to placate him for the time being as he flew to Kelin's dresser and rested on top of it.

Kelin studied his sister after closing the door, noticing her slow movements and squinted eyes as well as her minor pain through the Force. "Are you. . . hungover?"

"Maybe," she grumbled, plopping down onto his bed and looking up at the blank ceiling.

Kelin sat on the edge by her knees. "As much as I like hearing that you've relaxed a little in your downtime for once, getting drunk isn't exactly up your alley. So, what happened?"

Karena didn't look at him as she answered, "I had sex with Dameron."

"You what?" he blurted; eyes wide. "Commander Hotshot? Really? Of all the people you could've chosen on base, you chose him?"

Karena pushed herself up onto her elbows so she could look at her brother. "I wasn't exactly thinking straight when drunk off my ass, thank you."

"At least your drunk ass chose someone attractive," Kelin conceded. As many problems as he seemed to have with the flyboy, Poe Dameron definitely had some good looks. She could've done worse.

Karena started to chuckle, but it just made her headache worse. She groaned and rubbed her forehead. "We hadn't meant to drink that much."

"How much did you drink?" Kelin wondered.

She laid back on the bed, trying to focus enough to talk to her brother and use the Force to help out her headache. "A bottle of rum and, like, half a bottle of whiskey between the two of us."

"Really, Ren? Really?" Karena kicked him, and he swatted her leg before standing up.

"Where are you going?" Karena asked.

Kelin grabbed his cup off his nightstand and went to the refresher. "Getting you some water. It'll help with the headache." He filled the cup in the sink with cold water and brought it to her. She sat up and took it from him, happily downing half of it in one go. Kelin sat on the bed again. "What do you plan on doing?"

"That's kind of why I came to you, Kel," Karena pointed out then resumed finishing off the cup of water. She sighed and held the empty cup in her hands. "I need brotherly advice. I don't know what to do. Whenever I, you know, fuck around, it's never with someone I'm going to see again. And I don't sleep in the bed with them afterward."

Kelin plucked the cup from her grasp so she'd look up at him. "Do you regret it?"

"Well, I-no, I can't say I do. I mean it was. . . what I can remember of it was fun. And for a brief moment, it felt nice to wake up in someone's arms for once. But I barely know him, we're not together, I don't have feelings for him other than a mild annoyance, and now it'll be awkward when I see him." Karena buried her head in her hands with a groan. "And he'll probably think it was more than sex with like feelings and things. I don't want to talk to him about it, but I know I should, but I don't want to see him. Ugh, I don't know what to do."

"So, get off base for a little bit," Kelin suggested. Karena looked up with a questioning gaze. "You want some time to think it over? Leave D'Qar. Go on a mission. Get it off your mind for a short bit then come back with a clear head."

Karena thought it over. It was a decent suggestion for the short term. She could return to Base when she was ready. She just had to wait for Poe to wake up and leave her ship. "Do you have a mission for me?"

"It needs a little work done, but yeah, I do." Kelin stood and patted her knee. "Get some rest. You'll need it where you're going."

"Thanks, Kel."

"Anything for you, Ren. Come on, Gray. I'll need your help."

Kelin then left his room with the seeker droid, leaving Karena to go finalize the details of her latest mission.

Karena stared up at the ceiling, trying to relax on the stiff bed and a little aggravated that Poe was sleeping on her comfy one. She just knew he looked handsome laying there, too, with his tousled curls and serene expression and spread out under the blankets because he would definitely take up as much room as he could if he's not cuddling something.

She brought her hands up to her face, smacking herself. _You're supposed to be resting, not focusing on the man you left_ , she scolded. _Stop torturing yourself_.

But she couldn't help it. She was torn between liking the situation and hating it. On the one hand, she seemingly made a friend and had some of the best sex she ever had, but on the other hand, it wasn't her intention in the slightest and it wouldn't have happened if she had been sober.

She refused to open up to people that weren't her family and she didn't want to screw people she knew, but she had broken both of those rules in one night.

What was it about Poe kriffing Dameron that made him so easy to talk to?

Poe was kind and stubborn and funny and annoying and charming and headstrong. He was so open and friendly: the complete opposite of Karena who was reserved and cold. They couldn't have been more different, but they were also extremely similar once a few of the basics were stripped away, not that either of them knew it for certain.

They were both pilots and mechanics. They were both quick-witted and easily annoyed. They were both flirty in their own ways and loved to tease. They both trained under Wedge Antilles for piloting, learning a few of his tricks. They both loved their droids. They both grew up on Yavin IV as friends when they were young, even if Poe didn't quite remember it being her. They both had dead mothers and a strenuous relationship with their fathers, and uncles that weren't related to them helped raise them. And, aside from piloting and engineering, they had a similar skillset with Poe's secret background of spice running that he kept to himself and Karena's open life of espionage.

He seemed to understand her in ways many people didn't, including her brother.

Karena just had to let him in, but she didn't quite know how. Or if she wanted to.

* * *

Poe woke up an hour after Karena had left the ship. With his eyes still closed, he patted the space next to him and found it empty. Opening his eyes, he frowned, not surprised to find her gone but also not happy with it. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. Despite his massive hangover and his eyes hurting, he felt pleasantly sore as he thought over what had happened the night before.

He had sex with Vornskr.

Scratch that, he had sex with Karena. She had given him her name. He for damn sure was going to use it. Maybe not in front of others considering it was a massive secret, but any time he could, he would. He didn't know what he was expecting her name to be, but something delicate and warm wasn't it considering how icy she acted.

Poe then remembered he didn't have his alarm clock and shot out of the bed. He didn't know what time it was, and if he was late for his morning duties, he'd be scolded by the General, and General Organa wasn't someone he liked to piss off. Snap, Jess, and Karé would get on his ass, too, albeit playfully compared to the General being serious.

His clothes were in a neat pile next to the bed and he smiled at it for a moment. They certainly hadn't been there the previous night.

After pulling on his clothes, he went to his personal quarters to get ready for the day. Thankfully, he got there ten minutes prior to the time he'd normally wake up. He showered, dressed, and went to the mess hall for breakfast. He needed to eat something, hoping it would help his headache.

Poe sat at his usual spot with his plate of food and a cup of water, having arrived before the other pilots in his squadrons. He ate slowly, not in a rush with his head pounding or thinking of Karena. He wondered where she had gone to so early in the morning. He hadn't pegged her for the morning-type. But he really needed to talk to her.

Snap slid onto the bench across from Poe, setting down his plate of food and cup. When Poe didn't react to Snap's presence, focusing solely on his plate with heavy eyes and a small smile, Snap knew something was up. Poe was usually in a chipper mood in the morning, wanting to lead by example and all that nonsense. Instead, Poe looked more fond of something instead of excited while also being tired. Poe being tired in the morning wasn't a new thing as he occasionally had difficulty sleeping, so Snap focused more on the strange fondness in Poe's eyes and his slight smile.

"What's with the dumb look?" Snap asked, digging into his food.

Poe looked up from his plate. "Dumb look? What dumb look?"

Snap gave him an unimpressed looked. "The one on your face that says you are proud of something," Snap explained.

Poe's hand stilled in the middle of lifting a piece of breakfast sausage. He hadn't realized he was being so transparent. Poe lowered his voice and leaned forward, knowing he could confide in Snap. "Vornskr told me her real name," Poe revealed quietly. And as much as he wanted to brag about having sex with her because damn did he find her attractive, bragging about sexual exploits wasn't his thing. Not to mention, he found it disrespectful to the other person.

Snap's eyebrows pinched together in slight disbelief. "Really?"

"Yeah." Poe returned to his food.

Snap eyed Poe skeptically, knowing there was more to the story. "Sooo, you and Vornskr. . ."

"What about us?" Poe asked. He realized his mistake too late.

Snap smirked, resting his elbows on the table. "So there _is_ an 'us?'"

"What, no, I-no. No." _Maybe, sort of. How the hell would I know when she didn't even stick around this morning?_ Poe thought dismally. _Kriff, why does Snap have to know me so well?_

If there was one thing Snap knew for absolute certain about Poe Dameron, it was that Poe was a terrible liar. "But she told you her name," Snap continued, picking at his food with his fork. "You know how many people on this base know her real name? Before you, I could count them on one hand. That's six people total with you now unless there's another that I don't know about."

Poe's features pinched together, trying not to reveal more than he accidentally already had. "And you think that means we have a thing?"

Snap shrugged. "I'm not sure that it could mean anything else."

Poe knew he had to change the subject. "How do you even know her name?" he wondered. "I've never seen you two talk. And before she returned to base the first time, you had never mentioned her."

Snap could've sworn Poe sounded jealous. "We know each other through Wedge." He leaned in conspiratorially with a grin. "She calls him Uncle Wedge." _Oh, Karena's gonna kill me_ , Snap thought with a smirk. _Worth it_.

 _She knows Wedge?_ Poe repeated in his mind. He pushed the thought aside for a moment, focusing on Snap. "I can't tell if you're being serious or giving me false information to get my ass kicked by her."

"She'll kick your ass either way," Snap replied with a laugh.

"You want her to kill me, don't you?"

Snap shrugged and stabbed a piece of potato with his fork. "Maybe I do. It means I'll be promoted to Commander. And with you gone, hopefully, she'll wisen up, hop in an X-wing, and fly like Wedge taught her. Actually showcase why she's a colonel."

He knew he probably shouldn't be revealing so much about his friend, but Poe's reactions were too entertaining. And if what he had seen with Poe and Karena's interactions, he knew it was likely she'd end up confiding with Poe sooner or later. Although, Snap had to admit Karena and Poe together wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd see, but Poe clearly had feelings for her if his jealousy was anything to go by. Also, based on Poe's stumbling over his words, something had definitely happened.

And Snap could've sworn he spotted a dark spot on the base of Poe's neck hiding behind the collar of Poe's jacket. And it wasn't a birthmark.

Poe nudged a piece of potato with his fork, thinking about Snap's words. "And why is she a colonel?" he asked slowly.

"It's not because of her leadership skills, I can tell you that much," Snap replied. "She's one of the best fighters and pilots we have. Great instincts, brilliant mind. It's a shame she wastes her talent on stealth. Though, she is good at that, too." Snap paused, eyeing his friend. "Why, got more to say about her?"

"Uh, no, no, that's it."

Another lie.

Snap chuckled lightly and returned to his food. The conversation had ended right on time as Karé sat down next to Snap and Jessika sat by Poe.

"You look like bantha shit," Jess remarked, looking at Poe and the bags under his eyes.

"Wow, thanks, Jess," Poe replied sarcastically.

"Late night?" Karé asked, smirking. Poe almost froze but forced himself to continue eating like normal. "BB was looking for you, so I assume he wasn't invited."

"No, he was in my room when I, uh, fell asleep working on my ship." He really needed to talk to BB-8, too.

Jess and Karé glanced at each other in disbelief and turned to Snap who shook his head at them, silently telling them not to call out his obvious lie. They needed to work on his ability to tell a believable lie if he ever wanted to fool anyone.

* * *

When Kelin told Karena, who had been hiding out in his room, that Poe was running through physical training with the most recent recruits, she deemed it safe to leave D'Qar without running into him. Part of her felt bad for running away, but she didn't know what to say to him. She didn't know what to do. She felt off and confused and anxious, and she didn't like it one bit. She was usually more composed and hated feeling anything otherwise.

So, Karena and Gray readied the _Desert Dragon_ for takeoff as quickly as they could, wanting to get off-world the moment they were able. The ship was freshly fueled up and fixed up and ready to fly.

Kelin had finished fine-tuning a mission plan he had been working on for the past few days for Karena while she was hiding and issued it to her when she was ready to go. It would take her to Nar Shaddaa which was guaranteed to take her mind off things. Though before leaving, Karena did ask Kelin not to do anything to Poe and to keep the talking to him at a minimum. She didn't need her brother harassing him, knowing it would only make things worse.

When cleared to leave, the ship lifted off, flying out of the hangar and into the open sky. Karena was excited about the mission and had a feeling Kelin left the stealth part to a minimum so she could shoot her blasters as much as she wanted.

Once Poe had a few minutes to spare in his day, he hurried to Hangar Bay 3 so he could try to talk to Karena about what had happened between them, but he scowled at the space where her ship had been parked.

She had left.

"Are you kriffing kidding me?"


	8. Acceptance

31 ABY

Two months. Two kriffing months. That was how long Karena avoided returning to D'Qar. And Poe hated every second of it no matter how much he tried to stay focused on his work.

She never thought she'd be a coward as she was usually extremely confrontational, but talking to someone after a drunken night of sharing personal information and having sex wasn't the same as getting into a fight over something that was pissing her off.

Poe, on the flip side, was pissed off. A little saddened, too, but mostly pissed. His friends and peers could tell he was a little agitated, but for the most part, he didn't let it show. And he spent a few of his nights ranting and confiding in BB-8 in the confines of their personal quarters. Poe wasn't quite sure what he had done wrong to scare her off, but he did know that he really needed to talk to her about it as soon as possible since he was losing his mind.

So the moment Poe spotted Karena in the Command Center two months after that night, he made a beeline towards her.

Karena's eyes widened the slightest bit when she saw him walking over and ducked out of the room, much to Poe's ever-growing frustration with her. He followed her into the hall, trying not to be in a hurry so he wouldn't draw attention from the others in the Command Center.

Poe caught up to her speed-walking down one of the adjacent halls with low foot traffic. He jogged over and stopped in front of her to get her to stop moving.

"You're avoiding me," he pointed out, not wasting any time. "And we need to talk."

"I'm very busy," she replied politely with a clipped smile. "Now, if you don't mind. . ." She tried to walk around him.

Poe moved in front of her again. "I do mind, actually. You ran. Why?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Karena glared up at him, avoiding answering the question and going on the defensive.

He never thought he'd miss her glare. "You kinda do, sweetheart. You left me naked in your bed and then left the planet without even saying a word to me. I think I deserve an explanation even if it's as simple as you not wanting to talk to me about it." Poe took a second, seeing a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, and he felt a little bit of insecurity bubble up. "Was it really that bad?"

"What? No, that's not-" Karena cut herself off with a groan and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Then what is it?" Poe asked, his voice softer than before.

Karena looked up at the pilot. Whatever she had planned to say disappeared from her mind when she saw genuine hurt in his expression. And she hated herself. Such a carefree, happy person shouldn't be bogged down by anything. It was her fault for it, too.

"Poe, I-" she started to say, but both of them looked towards the sound of people walking towards them. Their conversation was not something meant to be heard by anyone else.

Poe grabbed her hand and pulled her down a different hallway. Karena went willingly, not complaining about him touching her or dragging her with him. His calloused hand fit neatly in hers.

Poe stopped in front of a storage room, opened the door, and pulled her inside with him, closing and locking the door behind them. The room was pitch black for a few seconds until Poe found the light switch and turned it on, filling the room with dim yellow lighting. The room was crude and a little messy but effective as they would've been spotted together if they had gone to either her ship or his room. They didn't need people spreading rumors.

Karena backed up a little, nearing the shelves of spare computer parts to put a little space between her and Poe, even if she did kind of like being in an enclosed space with him. Part of her didn't want to have space between them.

Poe leaned on the door, eyes not leaving her as she thought of what she wanted to say. He had said his piece, or at least some of it, and wanted to give her the chance to do so, too.

"I," she said then shook her head and sighed, "I couldn't, okay? I just couldn't see you after."

"But why?" he pressed. "Was it bad? Did you regret it? Do you hate me now?"

"No, no, no," Karena quickly replied, shaking her head and looking up at him. "No, I don't sleep with people I know or form relationships or get drunk and start spouting off about my inner thoughts. I liked it, and that's what's so horrible." She liked it so much she wanted it to happen again, which only made her inner thought process even worse. She had left D'Qar to try and clear her head, but that hadn't worked one bit. She likened her thoughts of Poe to a parasite or fungus but not one that she necessarily wanted to go away.

"Wait, wait, hold up." Poe waved his hand and stood up straight, kicking off from the door. "You couldn't talk to me after because you liked it? That makes no sense." She continued to confuse the living daylights out of him even if he wanted to focus on her liking what had happened.

"It does to me," she argued with a small glare. "I didn't want to tell you that and get all your hopes up or something."

Poe gaped and shook his head. "What? Why would that get my hopes up? Maybe my ego, sure, there's nothing better than a man hearing an attractive woman had a good time in bed with him, but hopes?"

Karena's eyebrows furrowed together and her nose scrunched up. "Why wouldn't it get your hopes up?"

Poe thought for a second, wondering why she thought them having sex would make him hopeful about something. _Wait, she thinks_. . . It wasn't like he wouldn't mind being in an exclusive relationship with her, but she was way too closed off for him to actively want one. Maybe if she opened up a little bit more and trusted him with things, sure, he could see himself with actual, legitimate, lasting feelings for her and not just a simple physical attraction and enjoying their banter, but they weren't anywhere near that.

"It was just sex," he said finally. "Right?"

Karena leaned back on the shelves with a sigh of relief, glancing up at the ceiling. "Thank the Maker," she murmured.

"Wait, you thought that I thought it was something more?" Poe asked.

Karena awkwardly grinned and shrugged. "You kinda seem like the type."

Poe ran a hand over his face and through his hair. "Kriff, are you kidding? No, we were drunk. Now, if we were sober and you kissed me and all that, that would be a different story. I'd probably be curious whether it meant something or not, but we were shitfaced. I barely remember half of it."

Karena felt an odd pit in her stomach form at him saying that last part but moved on, no longer leaning on the shelves. "So, I didn't have to leave the base then?"

"No!" he exclaimed with an amused grin, taking a few steps closer to her. "You didn't have to even if I did for some reason expect more. It was fun, but I'm not expecting it to happen again." Even if he really _really_ wanted it to happen again, he wasn't expecting it. He was raised better than that. The ghost of his dead mother would surely come back to haunt him if he ever disrespected a woman like that.

Karena looked up into his dark eyes while rubbing her arm. "Then why were you trying so hard to talk to me about it?"

Poe had thought it'd be the most obvious answer in the galaxy, but he was apparently wrong. "I wanted to know if we were okay. I mean, nothing has to change between us if you don't want it to. You can still go back to being super mysterious. I just, I didn't want things to be uncomfortable between us." He then smirked. "And remember, you're the one who started it anyway. You were also the first to start stripping if I remember correctly. It was all a man could do to keep you happy lest he face your drunken wrath."

Karena hit him in the abdomen with a playful glare. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it did make him laugh, and she chuckled along with.

"So, we good, sweetheart?" Poe asked earnestly when their laughs died away.

She smiled at him. Not one induced by alcohol or one meant to tease him; a good, real smile. He really liked her smile. "Yeah, we're good. . . Poe." She had been tempted to call him 'commander' but the last time she had called him that was in bed, and he had seemed to like it a little too much.

Poe had been expecting to hear the title, too. And even though he liked hearing his name roll off her tongue, he missed hearing 'commander' from her too. Just thinking about it made him antsy and warm again, so he looked away from her with a nod, cleared his throat, and started towards the door, trying to shove aside his intrusive thoughts of them being alone in a storage unit.

Karena had felt his flush of emotions through the Force and felt the need to be rash again. Without thinking, she called out, "Commander."

His hand stilled over the button to unlock the door, and he glanced back at her. _Am I going to regret this?_ she thought. Ignoring the invasive thought, Karena grabbed his arm and pulled him to her, leaning up to kiss him.

Poe responded immediately, setting his hands on her hips and holding her against him. She laced her fingers up into his curls. They had both missed the feel of each other's lips on theirs, soft and needy and warm.

The kiss didn't last long, just a few seconds.

When Karena pulled out of the lip lock, Poe tore his hands from her hips and grabbed her hands, taking them away from his hair and holding them. "Okay, now I'm really confused," he said with a low voice, setting his forehead against hers. "I mean, go ahead and do that any time you want, but also, still confused. Didn't we just say we were good?"

She looked at his lips again. "We are good, an-and you're good, and I hope I'm good?" She bit her bottom lip to get herself to stop talking.

"Oh, hell yeah, you're good," he muttered.

"Then let's do that again because it was great." Karena looked into his eyes. "No feelings?"

Poe nodded in agreement. "No feelings," he repeated.

"Just sex."

"Just sex. And maybe some cuddling?"

Karena chuckled at his request. Of course, he'd ask for that. "And maybe some cuddling."

* * *

"So, I see you've stopped avoiding Commander Hotshot."

Karena turned around at her brother's voice. Poe had just left her side after bringing her a new piece for her damaged enviro filter and was off to get another piece she needed for it. He seriously reminded her of a Carosi pup considering how happy he seemed to be to help her.

She noticed the enviro filter was damaged when on Nar Shaddaa considering it was a smog-ridden world. D'Qar had some of the cleanest air in the galaxy, meaning she didn't notice it in the atmosphere and it hadn't set off any warnings; otherwise, she would have fixed the filter before leaving for the two-month mission if she had noticed. Thankfully, she could handle a little bit of polluted air in her ship as the enviro filter still did most of its job, but she didn't want to deal with the annoyance again.

So, since she didn't know when she'd be given her next mission, which Karena assumed was a plan for her to inspect an old Rebellion base for old ships and supplies, she was working on the repair the day after her return; the day after her and Poe decided to continue having a sexual relationship.

Kelin leaned against the side of the _Desert Dragon_ as Karena replaced the outer filter piece.

"Switch off," she grumbled, turning back to focus on the repair job.

"Never going to happen," Kelin replied. "Does this mean you've moved passed the awkwardness of sleeping with him?"

Karena rolled her eyes. She knew she'd have the conversation with her brother at some point but not in the damn hangar bay. Thankfully, for the sake of her sanity, there were only a few deckhands milling about and none were near her ship or within earshot.

"Not completely." She tightened the bolt with her wrench. "But it did happen again."

Kelin hummed quietly, not surprised at her confession, and glanced around the hangar, wondering how far he could push his sister's buttons about the topic before she snapped. "You know, I may not like him much," he started slowly, "he's way too brash, but if you like him-"

Karena stopped what she was doing, turned to her brother, and held her hand up to get him to stop talking. "I'm gonna stop you right there. I don't like Poe."

"But you do find him attractive; otherwise, you wouldn't have slept with him," Kelin pointed out. "Twice." He could easily see the attraction turning into feelings even if she was adamant against it considering the pilot seemed to have a way of getting under her skin when many others couldn't.

Karena groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can you stop analyzing my sex life? It's a little weird."

Kelin shrugged and leaned back. "I've got nothing better to do than tease you. Seriously, I'm so bored. Auntie hasn't given me anything to do all day. That usually means she's planning something and wants to avoid me accidentally reading her thoughts."

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him with slight disbelief. "Accidentally?" she repeated.

Kelin scowled at her. "Yes, accidentally. I don't do it on purpose, and you know it. It just happens if I focus too much on someone."

She smirked and turned back to her work. "Whatever you say, Kel." He wanted to strangle her.

Just then, she sensed Poe walking over again with another filter piece. Kelin spotted him before she did and eyed the pilot with a stern gaze. Poe tried not to let the sudden appearance of the colonel or the glaring effect his happy-go-lucky grin.

"Here you go," Poe said, going to the other side of Karena.

She took the part from his outstretched hands. "Thank you." As she fit the run capacitor into the filter and looked at Kelin from the corner of her eye.

 _Go_ , she sent to Kelin through the Force.

"When do you want the schematics?" Kelin asked out loud, momentarily ignoring her request as he glared at Poe over her head. The schematics were for the old Rebellion base that Leia had been interested in sending Karena to scout.

"Just take Gray with you and upload them to him. I'll look them over later."

Gray perked up from his spot shining a light into the filter. The droid handed the flashlight he had been holding for Karena over to Poe before flying to Kelin's shoulder and landing on it. Poe moved the flashlight so she could see into the enviro filter.

Kelin wasn't particularly happy that he could no longer glare at the man who had slept with his sister but listened anyway. _Hope your hand slips_ , he silently told her as he walked away.

 _Go do some meditation_ , Karena retorted.

Poe waited until Kelin was a good distance away and out of hearing range before saying, "Are you and Colonel Aput like a thing or something? Am I stepping on anyone's toes? He glares at me every time I'm near you, or actually just in general, and for once, I know I have done absolutely nothing wrong." It wasn't often he could say that.

Karena almost dropped her wrench in shock. She turned her head, narrowing her eyes at him. "Did you seriously just ask that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, not quite sure how his question garnered such a reaction. It was a reasonable question considering all anyone knew about Karena was how close she was to the colonel, so some people naturally assumed they were a couple. Now, Poe didn't quite think they were a _couple_ couple since he had now had sex with Karena twice and she didn't seem the type to cheat on her partner, but he definitely thought there might be feelings on the other side or maybe even from her towards Kelin.

"What?" he asked as she stared at him.

"Gross. Me and Kelin?" Karena cringed, lowering her arms from the side of her ship and scrunching up her nose. "If I wasn't so disgusted, I'd be laughing."

Poe turned off the flashlight and shook his head, not understanding. "I don't get it. Like half the base is thinking it."

She had to tell him. She couldn't have him thinking such ludicrous things about her and Kelin. She didn't care about the rest of the Resistance or their thoughts on the matter. Karena sighed and fully faced Poe, kind of finding his confused expression cute, but it was overshadowed by her disgust.

"He's my brother," she reluctantly revealed.

"Oh. Oh!" Poe's eyebrows shot up at the news. "Your dynamic with him makes a lot more sense now." He studied her for a second. "Neither of you are particularly good with genuine social interaction, huh?"

"Not really, no."

"Why not?" The only response Poe got from his question was a blank stare, so Poe moved on. "Right. Don't know why I ask." He leaned against the ship. "So, that means your last name is Aput, huh?"

Karena rolled eyes and didn't reply, returning to finishing up the repair and closing the outer component of the filter. She then started towards the open loading ramp of her ship.

Poe followed closely behind and asked, "Do you know why he's always glaring at me?"

"Probably because you screwed his sister."

"Wait, he knows?" Poe exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You told him?"

She gave him an annoyed look as they walked into the common area. "Of course, I did. He's my best friend." Karena opened the food cupboard. "And how else do you think I was able to get a mission so quickly after the first time? I wanted to avoid you, and he had a fantastic solution. It's how we operate." She pulled out a package of dried fruit and held it out to Poe. "Want one?"

"No, I'm good, thanks," Poe said, sitting on the bench around the dejarik table. Karena shut the cupboard and joined him. "So, if he has a problem with me, why doesn't he just tell me?"

Karena shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You don't know Kel. He's not comfortable around you."

Poe's frown deepened and his eyebrows furrowed together. "That makes no sense. If he was comfortable around me, he wouldn't need or want to confront me."

Karena leaned on the dejarik table, looking at Poe. "You're missing the point," she told him blankly. "He's comfortable around me and trusts me, so he's willing to quarrel a bit. Same goes for Leia. He's comfortable around her and trusts her, at least with most things. You he doesn't know or understand or trust or anything of the sort, so he's content to watch you from afar to see if you do something stupid, especially when it comes to me."

Poe slumped back in his seat, chewing his lip. He supposed it made a little sense when she put it like that. He had another question though. "Have you ever helped him avoid someone he liked?"

"Never said I liked you," she corrected quickly, opening the bag of fruit and relaxing in her spot. "And no, I haven't, but I've never had the chance to anyway. Last time he had a crush on someone, we were kids, and it was practically impossible for Kelin to avoid him."

"Him?" Poe asked.

Karena nodded as if Poe said something stupid. To be fair, he sort of did. "Yeah, and that adds another layer of ridiculousness to people thinking me and Kelin are a thing since he's into men. Very openly, mind you."

"Okay, I get it, I'm a dumbass. Let's move on."

"You definitely are."

Poe glared at her. "That doesn't sound like moving on."

She playfully smirked at him then switched on the dejarik table. "Care for a round?"

* * *

Hours later, Poe and Karena were resting in her bed, warm laying against each other underneath the blanket.

Karena's eyes were in line with the necklace and ring resting along Poe's collarbone. She stared at it for a few minutes while tracing a random pattern on his shoulder. He was drifting off to sleep to the calm movement until her hand moved lower to the necklace, picking up the ring between her fingers.

"What's this?" she asked.

When most people noticed the necklace and/or ring, they didn't ask about it, so he wasn't prepared to hear the question. "Oh, it's, uh, it's nothing, just a ring," Poe quickly answered before quietly scolding himself. He shifted on the bed, tightening his arms around her.

Karena noted how bad of a liar he continued to be but assumed the ring had sentimental value similar to why she refused to talk about her tattoo or the ship or Gray, so she nodded and curled up under his chin, not wanting to push the subject.

"You're a terrible liar, but okay," she whispered against him.

Poe really wanted to talk about it, to tell her, but everything about her was still a mystery to him, even the things she had revealed about herself. He didn't know how she'd react either. And while he knew she probably wouldn't bare her soul even if he did decide to tell her about the ring, he didn't want her to feel like she had to tell him something personal in return.

She could feel his conflicting emotions through the Force and tried to soothe him by tracing patterns on his arm again. It worked, and it also helped him decide what he wanted to say.

"It belonged to my mom," he said quietly, reaching up to hold the ring with his free arm not pinned under her. He looked down at it and she moved back so she could look at his face. "It's just a brushed steel washer, but, uh, it was her wedding ring. I started wearing it when she died."

"So you can have a piece of her wherever you go." She knew the feeling.

He slowly nodded. "Something like that, yeah." He didn't dare bring up how he wanted to give it to whoever he fell in love with.

Karena slowly turned around in his arms and pulled her hair out of the way so he could see the tattoo on the back of her neck. At first, he had thought she was just turning around to get comfortable and go to sleep, but then she said, "My mom had the same tattoo. I got it after she died."

Poe pulled her closer and nuzzled his face into her neck. "Told you you'd warm up to me."

She didn't argue.


	9. The Bounty Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disregards how the Resistance originally discovered the First Order was looking for Lor San Tekka in order to find Luke. I wanted to include Boba Fett.

32 ABY

The day had started off normal, calm even. Engineers worked on ships and droids. New pilots trained under their commanding officers. Officers planned movements and missions. Everyone was focused, and everything was calm.

But it didn't last long.

Kaydel Connix burst into Leia's office, wide-eyed and frantic. "General, urgent transmission for you with priority clearance codes," she announced to Leia and Admiral Statura who were both bent over her desk looking over schematics of the base. They had been discussing the addition of another hangar bay and expanding the barracks as their numbers continued to rise.

"Come in, Connix," Leia said, rolling up the schematics. "Put it up."

Kaydel entered the room, the door sliding closed behind her. Using her datapad, she transmitted the message to Leia's holoterminal. A hologram of a Mandalorian armor-clad man shown brightly in the room. Leia straightened her back, recognizing the figure immediately as Boba Fett.

Ever since Leia's creation of the Resistance and the twins joining up, the bounty hunter had promised to only take on bounties that wouldn't harm their efforts against the First Order, and he especially didn't take any by the First Order. Kaleena had really done a number on the man and his principles. Leia was glad she didn't have him against them, though. And occasionally, he checked in on the twins, meeting on one of the nearby planets. Though Leia hasn't seen him herself in a few years.

"This is an urgent message for General Leia Organa," the recording of Fett said. His form flickered, as if it had been recorded by a faulty recorder or the ship had an unstable connection. "I have information stolen from the First Order, but I'm being followed. My ship is damaged, and I can't make a hyperspace jump. I don't know how much longer I can hold out against them. Please send aid."

Before the message started over again, Kaydel turned paused it so she could give the general more information. "We tried to make contact with the ship, but it became unresponsive immediately after the message was sent. Last known coordinates are outside of an asteroid field near Naboo."

"That's not far from here," Statura said. "We could have a squadron ready and there in less than thirty minutes."

Leia shook her head, feeling both giddy and grave. "A whole squadron won't be needed. Knowing Fett, he took care of most of the fighters tailing him. I'll send Dameron, Pava, and Bastian. You're both dismissed."

"Yes, General," Kaydel said, nodded and exiting the office. Statura followed suit without the words.

Leia contacted Commander Dameron, Lieutenant Pava from Blue Squadron, and Lieutenant Bastian from Red Squadron, telling them to get ready to leave and that she'd meet them on the tarmac for their mission details. She also ordered the deckhands and technicians to ready the X-wings for take-off so the pilots could head out immediately.

Poe had been with Karena in the training center when he got the order. "Duty calls, sweetheart," he said cheekily with a wink. "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone."

"If anything, I'll have more fun," Karena responded. He chuckled and collected his water bottle and sweat towel as he walked away with BB-8. She watched him leave the room with a worried expression. Ever since they had grown closer over the past year, she started becoming worried each time he got sent out on a mission. She had sensed his own worry for her for each of her missions as well.

The three pilots hurried to don their flight suits and met out on the tarmac where their X-wings were being primed for takeoff by the technicians. Leia was waiting for them with her signature stern expression. They stopped in front of the general, holding their helmets at their sides. BB-8 went to be loaded into Poe's ship.

"You're being sent to intercept First Order fighters attacking a civilian ship with important intel to deliver," Leia explained curtly. "The rules of engagement are void in this case. Fire first. Destroy the fighters, help the ship land on the nearest planet, help with emergency repairs, then escort him here. You may be entering an asteroid field, so stay vigilant and don't hit one."

"Yes, General," the three pilots said in unison.

"Get to your fighters. The coordinates have been uploaded to your navicomputers."

Poe, Jess, and Bastian broke off and ran to their X-wings, climbing up the ladders and into the starfighters. Their blood was pumping, ready for a fight. It was what they had trained for.

Once cleared for takeoff, the ships flew through the air, off the planet, and into hyperspace.

* * *

Karena cleaned herself up, ending her workout short with Poe gone, and made her way to the Command Center to see her brother and aunt to ask where Poe had been sent. She sensed something through the Force but couldn't quite tell if it was good or bad. Perhaps a mixture of both. Reading the Force was Kelin's thing though, so Karena tried to push the attempt at interpretation aside.

When she entered the Command Center, officers were bustling about as normal. None of them seemed panicky, distraught, or worried, so she took that as a good sign, but it did fill her with confusion as to why Poe had to leave on such short notice.

Leia stood by the galaxy map, watching three dots appear on the map and travel through space, having dropped out of hyperspace. Unlike the rest of the officers in the room, she looked concerned.

Karena joined her aunt near the map. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We received a distress call from Fett," Leia explained, her eyes not leaving the map. "He's taking fire by First Order fighters, so I sent Dameron, Pava, and Bastian to take care of them. They'll be coming up on his last known coordinates in a moment."

Karena looked at the map too, watching the three dots as they neared an asteroid field. "If you sent the best in the Resistance then why are you worried?"

Leia turned to look at her niece. "You're saying you aren't worried about Dameron or Fett? Not even a little? Not even about them meeting?"

Conceding, Karena nodded. "Good point." They stood in silence for a few moments, but Karena had another question. "What does the First Order want with Boba, anyway?"

"I don't know," Leia answered. "All he said was he had information for us. He didn't say what it was or why he had felt the need to steal it from them. I don't even know how he was able to get anything from them."

"You think he took a First Order-issued bounty?"

"I hope not. He promised he wouldn't. And if there's anything I trust that man with, it's for him to keep a promise to you, Kelin, and your mother."

Karena took that as a sign that she didn't trust Boba with much else. Not that she found it surprising. Once upon a time, he had given the Rebellion a lot of grief, including Leia personally. At least they were civil with each other and not at each other's throats.

* * *

As Poe, Jess, and Bastian exited hyperspace, Poe opened the comm channel between the fighters and said, "Wings, report in."

"Red Four, standing by," Bastian answered.

"Blue Three, standing by," Jess added.

The three X-wings flew through the emptiness of space towards a large asteroid field in front of them. Their scanners hadn't picked up anything yet and they couldn't see anything out of the ordinary with the naked eye, which meant they had to enter the field.

"Okay, kids, ready to enter the asteroid field?" Poe asked, flipping a few switches.

"You're older than me by like two years, Poe," Bastian argued. "Settle down."

"You can call us kids if we can call you old," Jess chimed in. She actually was far younger than Poe, by about seven years. "Ooh! Or Gramps!"

Poe could hear her amused grin through the comlink. "I resent that, Jess. Lock S-foils in attack position. I have a feeling we'll be needing them once we're inside."

"You got it, Poe," Bastian said, following the order. Jess did the same.

BB-8 voiced his dislike of entering the asteroid field, his self-preservation protocols kicking in.

"Happy beeps, buddy," Poe coaxed. "We'll be fine."

Poe took a deep breath as they closed in on the asteroid field. He had done a lot of stupid things when flying ships but entering an asteroid field would be a new one. The comforting thought of having someone waiting for him back on base helped ease the slightest flair of anxiety at the situation though.

Before entering, Poe picked up five ships on his scanner. "There they are. Alright, follow me. Try not to let them get behind you."

The three Resistance pilots entered the asteroid field, flying towards the scanned ships.

* * *

Karena took in a deep breath as she watched the dots on the galaxy map enter the asteroid field. Leia noticed and reached over, setting a calming hand on her niece's tight grip on the computer console.

"They'll be fine," Leia said quietly, trying to be reassuring and not focus on her own minor worry. "I know they will. It's what they're best at: helping people."

"You and Uncle barely made it out of an asteroid field alive, if I remember correctly," Karena pointed out, glancing at Leia from the corner of her eye. "And I remember Mom telling Kelin and me a story about Grandpa entering one while following Boba's dad, and he had almost died, too."

"But neither of them were the best pilot in the Resistance."

Karena could hear the teasing in Leia's voice. None of them knew where the phrase 'best pilot in the Resistance' had come from when describing the great Poe Dameron, but most people on the base admitted it suited him. He was the best they had, the most daring too, even if Karena was irritated with it and wanted to challenge him to a race to prove she was a better flyer. But she also didn't want to in the off-chance that she was wrong and he was better, which she saw as a very real possibility.

"They also have X-wings," Leia added. "Those have better maneuverability than a freighter like the _Falcon_."

"What about a Jedi starfighter piloted by a Force-user?"

Leia didn't answer and rightfully so.

* * *

Poe's eyes zeroed in on the First Order fighters and noticed they were following and attempting to shoot down a larger ship. It looked like an older patrol ship, so Poe was briefly surprised at how maneuverable it seemed to be as it flew around asteroids and dodged blaster fire.

"Wings, follow me," Poe said into the comms.

"We're right behind you, Poe," Jess assured.

Poe took a sharp turn around a particularly large asteroid and took a shot at the nearest First Order fighter. With one hit, it went spiraling into the nearest asteroid and exploded. Poe made a small congratulatory noise for himself, but it didn't last long as the remaining three First Order TIEs broke off from their attack on the patrol ship to turn and attack the Resistance X-wings.

"Incoming!" Poe yelled, dodging a shot from a TIE.

The X-wings broke their formation and engaged in a short firefight with the TIEs. Despite the TIEs having better maneuverability, the TIEs didn't last long against the Resistance pilots with better firepower as Poe shot down one more, and Bastian and Jess destroyed the other two.

The scanner showed the patrol ship leaving the asteroid field.

"Nice job, Jess, Bastian," Poe praised. "Now, let's go check in on our damsel."

The pilots went nose up out of the asteroid field, happy to no longer having to dodge space rocks.

They flew in formation to the patrol ship. As they drew near, Poe opened a channel to commune with the pilot. "Civilian ship, this is Commander Poe Dameron of the Resistance," Poe greeted formally. "Do you copy?"

It took a few moments for Poe to hear the crackling of the comm channel being opened by the new ship. "Can't say I've ever been called a civilian ship, but yeah, I hear you loud and clear, Commander Dameron," a modulated male voice replied.

"We have orders to escort you to a nearby planet to make repairs," Poe told the man. "Are you good to make the trip?"

"Yeah, she'll hold together," the man assured. "My readout says the nearest planet is Rugosa."

"Fantastic. Wings, fall in, and lock S-foils in closed position."

"On it, Black Leader," Bastian answered.

The S-foils of the X-wings closed as Bastian and Jess flew their ships lower to be below the civilian ship and Poe flew above it, the three escorting the ship to the temperate moon Rugosa.

The green and pink moon had been the site of a Clone War conflict in an effort to bring the planet of Toydaria under control of the warring Separatist Alliance or Republic, so a small portion of the surface still showed its scars with fallen battle droids and downed ships and tanks.

"Wasn't there a Clone War battle here?" Jess asked. She loved hearing stories about the Old Republic, the Clone War, and the Galactic Civil War. And everyone knew not to get her started on the legend that was Rebellion Hero and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. She could talk for hours about him. It had taken her a bit to get used to working on the same base as Princess Leia Organa, another walking legend.

"Cut the chatter, Blue Three," Poe said, not surprised it was Jess who brought it up. "But also, yes, I believe so."

The four ships flew towards the surface and entered the atmosphere, quickly finding a spacious spot to land by one of the rocky caverns along the coral forest treeline. The Resistance pilots opened the hatch of their cockpits and picked themselves up to sit on the edge.

"Bastian, stay with the fighters and keep your scanner on to keep an eye out for incoming ships," Poe ordered. "We don't know if the First Order has sent more fighters. And contact General Organa to inform her we made contact and our progress. Jess and I will help with the repairs."

"Suits me just fine," Bastian said, stripping off his helmet and setting it on the seat. "You two have the hard job. I can kick back and relax."

Poe and Jess chuckled at his response then took off their helmets, leaving them in their cockpits and grabbing their emergency toolboxes. Poe ruffled his hair, scratching his scalp after wearing the helmet.

BB-8 let out a string of beeps, wondering what Poe wanted him to do. "Stay with Bastian, buddy," Poe said. "Make sure he stays in line." Bastian scoffed and shook his head, and Poe sent him an exaggerated wink with a big grin before climbing out of the cockpit.

The hatch of the large patrol ship slid open to reveal a tall man dressed in green Mandalorian-styled armor. He leaned on the door frame, staring silently down at the pilots. Poe and Jess glanced at each other then started walking towards the older ship and up the ramp.

"Commander Dameron," Poe introduced once at the top of the ramp. "This is Lieutenant Pava." He gestured to Jess beside him then held out his hand for the man to shake.

The man didn't take it, his glance at the outstretched hand barely noticeable under the helmet by the twitch of his head. "Boba Fett," he said. Boba didn't miss the reaction of the young pilots. While both Poe and Jess tried not to seem automatically intimidated by hearing his name, Boba noticed the tension in their shoulders and jaws. He was usually amused by people's reactions to his reputation but not when he was trying to help them. He gestured to the inside of his ship with his head. "It's my hyperdrive and stabilizers. The rest can wait."

Boba stood up straight and turned, entering his ship. Poe and Jess looked at each other. Jess let out a large breath that she had begun holding the moment the bounty hunter said his name, and Poe chuckled quietly before following the bounty hunter.

Inside the ship, Boba opened the access hatch to the engine room, but Poe paused, his eye catching something painted on the wall by the ladder leading up to the cockpit. It was the same symbol tattooed on the back of Karena's neck. He knew it was the same one without a doubt in his mind. Over the past year, he had seen the tattoo quite a bit. He could trace the pattern over and over again with having to look at it. And there it was painted in bright cyan on the wall in an infamous bounty hunter's ship.

"Poe?" Jess called quietly, standing by the hatch and Boba.

Poe tore his eyes away from the triangular, maze-like symbol with a slight shake of his head. "Yeah, coming."

Jess and Poe entered the engine room, Boba eyeing the commander carefully. Boba glanced at the painted symbol before following the pilots down. He didn't know why Commander Dameron recognized the hunter symbol, but he had a feeling it had something to do with one of the children of the original woman who donned it.

As the three got to work fixing up the hyperdrive and stabilizers, Poe wondered why Boba Fett of all people had Karena's tattoo painted on a wall. Then he remembered what Karena had told him about her tattoo. Her mom had it, too. It didn't belong to Karena, it belonged to her mother, which meant Karena's mother and Fett knew each other. They had been close enough for Fett to want to paint her symbol in his ship as a constant reminder of her, to have a piece of her wherever he went: the same reason Karena had gotten it as a tattoo.

Poe remembered learning stories about the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett. He had heard them during his time on Yavin IV. He had heard them during his time as a spice runner. He had heard them during his time as a New Republic pilot. All stories pointed to him being around for quite some time, as far back as the Clone War during the time of the Republic and before the rise of the Empire. Depending on his age during the war, it would make him either old or ancient; he was at least as old as General Organa, and likely even older by at least ten years.

Poe wondered how he knew Karena's mother and how close they had been. But Karena's last name wasn't Fett, it was Aput, he presumed based on Colonel Kelin Aput, her brother, so Poe discarded the idea of Boba Fett being their father. Perhaps a close family friend or old ally.

The three worked quickly on the ship components, keeping the chatting to a minimum unless they needed a hand with something, and once the hyperdrive and stabilizers were operational, Boba started up his ship, the _Slave I_ , and Jess and Poe returned to their X-wings, Poe glancing at the symbol again before walking down the loading ramp.

Before reaching the starfighters, Jess quietly asked, "You recognized the mark, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," Poe answered.

"Is it bad?"

Poe shook his head. "No, just curious. Don't worry, Jess."

Jess could tell he wasn't lying, simply choosing not to tell her everything, so she dropped the subject.

The three Resistance pilots readied their X-wings and followed the _Slave I_ off Rugosa and into the atmosphere. Then they all inputted the coordinates to D'Qar into their navicomputers and entered hyperspace.

The hyperspace jump was quick, and the four ships exited above the jungle planet of D'Qar shortly after leaving Rugosa. Poe never grew tired of seeing the planet from space, likening it to a gem in the vast darkness of space, even with the ring casting a shadow over a portion of the surface. The ships made the descent to the planet's surface, getting their landing cleared by ground personnel as they drew near.

They started their landing cycles, and when their ships were fully parked, the pilots climbed out of their cockpits. Technicians and deckhands handled bringing in the X-wings and the _Slave I_ was to stay out on the tarmac by order of General Organa who knew Fett didn't plan on staying for very long.

Resistance personnel eyed the bounty hunter skeptically as he disembarked his ship.

Poe looked to Bastian and Jess. "You go on ahead," he told them. "I'll take him to the General." Both pilots were quietly grateful.

Poe motioned for BB-8 to follow him then set off towards the imposing bounty hunter. It wasn't often he found himself insecure about his height, but when next to a well-traveled mercenary dressed in intimidating armor, Poe definitely didn't like being on the shorter side of human males even if he wasn't even considered short.

Poe joined Boba on the tarmac and said, "I'll bring you to General Organa." Boba nodded curtly and didn't reply, following the commander into the base and to the Command Center.

"She's in her office," one of the officers said once he spotted Poe.

Poe made a quiet notion of acknowledgment and turned towards the hall leading to Leia's office.

Outside the office, Poe knocked on the door and waited for Leia to say, "Come in," before pressing the button and gesturing for the bounty hunter to head in first. Poe followed, closing the door behind him.

The door had just closed when Poe watched Karena rise from her seat by Leia's desk and launch herself into Boba's arms. She didn't care that Poe would learn more about her: she cared about hugging the man who was practically her grandfather. Kelin followed suit a few moments after, and Boba held them both tightly against his chest plate, his body releasing all the tension and unease it had gathered while walking through unfamiliar territory. He was with the twins, and that was all that mattered to him.

Poe stood off to the side to give them a private moment which Leia noticed, a small smirk gracing her lips at the pilot's minor discomfort at feeling like an intruder.

The hug didn't last long as the twins extracted themselves from Boba's arms. "It's good to see you two safe," Boba said quietly.

Kelin spoke for both him and Karena when he replied, "We missed you."

"You're always welcome here, Fett," Leia said from behind her desk.

"A military base isn't where I belong, even if I do come bearing gifts," Boba told her, pulling a small disk from a pouch on his belt. He took a few steps forward, moving around the twins, and handed the disk to Leia. "I think you'll find this helpful."


	10. Black Squadron

32 ABY

After Boba Fett handed off the disk to Leia, she immediately began pouring over the information with Fett and Kelin. Meanwhile, Poe hung back by the corner of the office, unsure of what to do since he hadn't been dismissed by Leia yet, and it would be completely unprofessional to leave without being dismissed by his superior officer. Karena could sense his minor discomfort through the Force and joined him. She wasn't much for strategy and analysis like her brother anyway.

"Thanks for helping him," Karena said quietly, sidling up next to Poe and eyeing her family crowded around the holoterminal on Leia's desk looking at projections.

Poe shrugged and shifted his weight. "I mean, I was ordered to," he tried to play off. All he did was shoot some TIEs, make emergency repairs, and escort a bounty hunter to the D'Qar base. He'd done more noteworthy things.

Karena smiled up at him. "Just take the gratitude."

Poe ducked his head down, grinning then glanced over at the imposing bounty hunter who stood far taller than the two people he stood next to. "Is he, uh, family?" Poe asked hesitantly. He didn't know what he was expecting or even hoping to hear. Her actual answer surprised him.

"Yeah." Poe looked at her, shocked at the simple word. She frowned at him. "What?"

"I don't know what I was expecting to hear, but a real answer wasn't it." He gave her a teasing grin, subtly leaning closer.

Karena rolled her eyes and gently pushed him away. "Oh, switch off."

Kelin rolled his eyes and huffed at watching the pair, unbeknownst to Poe and Karena, but Leia and Fett noticed it plain as day, and they had to agree with Kelin's assessment and exasperation toward them. Kelin and Leia had watched Poe and Karena grow closer and closer with each passing day. Fett, on the other hand, had just arrived and already felt the same agitation the other two felt. He just knew she'd act like her mother.

"Commander Dameron," Leia's voice called sharply through the room.

Poe immediately snapped his head towards Leia and stood at attention, much to Karena's silent amusement. "Yes, General?" Poe said, his hands behind his back.

"I have a mission for you," Leia told him. She motioned for him to come closer, so he did, stopping in the center of the room. "With Fett's information, it is clear the First Order is getting close in their search for my brother."

Poe's shoulders tensed. Everyone in the Resistance knew exactly who her brother was. "Luke Skywalker."

Both Kelin and Karena tried not to be annoyed at the hint of reverence in the pilot's voice, but they knew the public perception of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, Hero of the Rebellion, was not the one they had grown up with as their father, considering either before the fall of the new Order or after. And it didn't shock Karena in the slightest to learn the First Order was closing in on their search for the missing Jedi Master.

Leia slowly nodded. "Yes. We cannot allow them to find him. We cannot."

"Do you know where he is?" Poe asked.

"No. We have to find him and bring him here."

Poe's lips downturned. "But if you don't know where he is. . ."

"I don't," Leia quickly said, but then she blew up the hologram so he could see it from where he stood. Karena's eyebrows lifted as she recognized the man in the hologram. Lor San Tekka knelt under what looked like a giant orb of some kind. Leia gestured to San Tekka. "But he might."

Poe peered closer, studying the man's face. "Who is that?"

"Lor San Tekka," Kelina answered, leaning on the desk beside his aunt. "An explorer. He's been all over the galaxy. There's not a sacred site or Jedi ruin he hasn't seen. He's supposed to be dead, but this holovid Boba recovered shows him alive, and older than the last time we saw him."

"He could still be out there," Leia said, "and if he is, he's our best hope for finding Luke." Leia turned off the hologram, the room losing the temporary blue glow. "We know Lor San Tekka is alive. The First Order knows too, but I don't think they know the location in the holovid. This is a huge opportunity for us to get ahead of them, but we have to act on it now before they learn the truth. The site's location is in our records. I need you to go there and ask Lor San Tekka for help."

"And if he's not there?" Poe asked.

Leia's eyes narrowed slightly as she smirked at him. "You know why you're getting this assignment, Poe? Because you don't need to be told every little thing. Just get it done."

Poe curtly nodded. "Yes, General. I'll leave right away."

Leia lifted her hand. "Not yet. I've authorized you to select a small squadron. Four more pilots and a technician. It's unlikely that you'll run into trouble; this planet is at the back end of the galaxy. Still, you never know."

"Right. Better safe than sorry. I'll pick good people," he assured.

"You better. I've been on my share of missions like this. Things can fall apart quickly, sometimes before you realize what's happening. Whomever you choose, make sure they're people you can trust."

"Will do, General."

"You're dismissed."

Those were the words he had been waiting for since he had first walked into the office. He nodded at Leia and Kelin then turned around. He winked at Karena before leaving the office.

Karena shoved down her smile at the wink when she faced her aunt, brother, and surrogate-grandfather. "Why not send me?" she asked. She had to ask. Lor San Tekka knew her. He had spent a good portion of time around the twins, around Ben, around her parents. He would trust her before trusting a random pilot and his squadron. So why wasn't Leia sending someone he already knew and trusted?

Leia gave Karena her standard sad gaze whenever she thought about Luke running away and Kal dying and Ben turning to the Dark Side. "Because I don't need you running into the First Order all alone."

Karena gritted her teeth and nodded before turning on her heel and leaving the office. The door slid closed behind her.

Fett turned to Leia. "She's too much like her mother."

Leia eyed the closed door. "I know."

Kelin crossed his arms over his chest. "She used to get angry," he said. "Believe it or not, this is an improvement."

"Because of the commander?" Fett asked.

Kelin nodded. "Because of the commander."

"And to think, you hated the idea of them paired for a mission," Leia said with a small chuckle.

 _Considering they're sleeping together, I still do_ , Kelin thought to himself then said aloud, "To be fair, they did piss each other off for a while. And she did kick his ass in the workout facility, so I wasn't completely wrong about her wanting to attack him."

* * *

It took Poe less than an hour to gather the pilots and the technician that he wanted for the newly-formed Black Squadron. He couldn't tell them everything, but they were each glad to be chosen by Poe to make a new squadron, even if they each gave him crap from pulling them away from their previous squadrons. While the new members of Black Squadron readied their ships, donned their flight suits, and gathered on the tarmac, Karena intercepted Poe on his way.

Karena tugged on the sleeve of his flight suit to stop him on his way to the tarmac. Poe turned and immediately grinned at the sight of her. He hadn't expected to see her before leaving, so it was a pleasant surprise.

"Did I forget something, sweetheart?" Poe asked with a cheeky grin.

Her eyes narrowed briefly, wanting to say something teasing back, but she couldn't, not with where he was about to go and try to do. She took in a slow breath and said, "Uh, good luck."

He raked his eyes over her. Poe wasn't used to sincerity or discomfort coming from her. But when it did show through her stoic, uncaring façade, he knew to avoid showing concern and to only tease in return. For some reason, it tended to relax her.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're worried about me."

There was the slightest uptick in the corners of her mouth. "Switch off," she said with a small glare.

Poe sent her a wink. "Don't miss me too much, sweetheart. I'll be back before you know it." He mock-saluted then turned and walked away.

Karena watched him as he went, a bubbling pit of worry in her stomach. The worry had no basis in any Force premonition, so she didn't fully understand why she felt it. Was she worried about finding Lor San Tekka? Was she worried about the First Order finding her father first? Or was she worried about Poe? She had an inkling feeling it was the last one, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Boba drew her out of her thoughts when he walked up next to her. He had seen the interaction between her and the commander. "How long has that been going on?" he asked, watching Poe greet his fellow pilots out on the tarmac.

Karena tore her eyes away from Poe and the newly-formed Black Squadron and looked up at Boba. "What do you mean?"

"You and the flyboy." He jutted his head towards the pilots. "You had the same look on your face that your mom had when talking to your dad. A look that says you know how stupid they are, but you can't help but love them anyway."

Her jaw tightened at his words. That's why she was worried about Poe kriffing Dameron, she had feelings for him, something she told him they wouldn't have. She wanted to groan. She wanted to curse. She wanted to pull her hair out. But none of that would change what she knew for certain.

"About a year," she begrudgingly answered, knowing Boba was still waiting for one.

Boba turned to face the young woman. Her face looked so much like Kaleena's, along with her expression and stance and attire, but her eyes were all Luke. No matter how much she tried to be like her mother, she still had a dash of her father. Hopefully, the part of her that was Luke would accept some advice because the Force knew Kaleena avoided taking most advice no matter what she went through.

"Take some advice from someone who didn't go after who he loved," Boba told Karena. "Don't wait. You'll only regret it when it's too late."

"What was her name?"

"Sintas." Boba smiled sadly beneath his helmet. He hadn't ever talked to anyone about it. He hadn't ever felt the need to since his whole life had changed when he met Kaleena and took her in. "I loved her, but I didn't know how to be part of a family, so I let her go. I don't have a lot of regrets in my life, but not letting myself love someone is one of them. Although, it isn't so bad since it did lead me to meet your mother years later."

While he had regrets, they were all outweighed by the people who had changed his life for the better. He would never regret meeting Kaleena, and, by association, Karena and Kelin, so he could forgive and forget all the mistakes he made before that day on Coruscant since making them led him to that moment.

Karena looked away from Boba, gazing out at the tarmac where Poe was climbing into his cockpit and closing it. She could see the grin on his face from where she stood, wanting to never see anything other than his smile. "Funny how the Force works."

* * *

Poe had run over to where his new squadron was readying themselves after he left Karena. The worry in her eyes had been plain as day to him, and the image was burned into his mind. He would never forget it. His chest felt tight thinking of her looking at him like that. It made him not want to leave her side for even a moment, but he had a job to do, and he had to go do it.

"All right, all right!" Poe greeted with a large grin, momentarily putting his thoughts of Karena on the back burner as he looked over the members of Black Squadron. He had chosen the people he trusted the most on the base: Captain Karé Kun, Captain Snap Wexley, Lieutenant Jessika Pava, Lieutenant L'ulo L'ampar, and Technician Oddy Muva. "Look at you guys. Looking good. Looking tough. All the ships fueled up and ready, Oddy?"

Oddy Muva, a male Abednedo, had been appointed as a technician when he joined the Resistance. He hadn't been in the Resistance for too long, but Poe had liked him from the moment they met and enjoyed hearing stories about him and his wife Sowa Chuan, though Poe kept that tidbit on the down-low. He couldn't have the whole base knowing he was a romantic at heart.

"Yeah, Poe," Oddy said. "I wish I were going with you, though." Oddy had been training to become a pilot, but he still had quite a bit to learn before he would be allowed to hop in an X-wing or one of the other ships. They also needed more ships anyway before they could appoint new pilots to full squadrons. There were a few too many standbys with the lack of ships.

Poe patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get your shot, buddy," Poe reassured. "Little more training and you'll be right up there with us. One thing the Resistance needs, it's pilots." And ships so the pilots could actually be of use.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Jess asked, holding her helmet at her side and looking mildly annoyed at her commander. "I was working on my engines, had an idea to get my power converter efficiency up by like fifteen percent. And then you called us up for whatever this is. Had to put the whole thing back together before I was finished."

"I'm sorry, Jess. It's classified, at least for now." Poe hoped it wouldn't stay classified. While he could keep his mouth shut easily, he sucked at lying, and he wanted to trust his squadron with everything.

L'ulo scoffed in his green flight suit. "Classified, pfff." The Duros rolled his eyes; although, they couldn't really tell because of the red eyes, only the accompanying head movement. "I've been fighting with Leia for decades. I was at Endor. You'd think that'd earn me a little trust."

"And Snap fought at Jakku," Karé retorted. "You're lucky they let either one of you old-timers anywhere near a fighter these days. Don't complain."

One thing Karé would never pass up is the chance to poke fun at Snap's age, especially since they were seeing each other, but that information wasn't something everyone in the Resistance was privy to. Only a select few people knew, such as Poe, Karena, and Kelin, who were close with Snap and Karé, and Leia, who had to know because with the workplace relationship they had to inform their superior officers and even fill out a form.

"Come on, Karé," Snap groaned. "I was like sixteen at Jakku."

Poe climbed the ladder on the side of his ship, smiling at the comradery. He turned to face the rest of them. "You are my team, you are my friends. We are Black Squadron, and it's an honor." Poe climbed up the rest of the ladder and into the cockpit.

"Where's Vornskr to knock him off his high horse when you need her?" Jess asked the others, not bothering to be quiet about it.

"I heard that!" Poe called out, shooting a playful glare at the Lieutenant. She shot him an amused grin and raised her hands while turning to go to her own ship. Poe shook his head and closed the cockpit.

When Black Squadron was ready for takeoff, they lifted off and flew into the sky, and Karena watched them as they went. She had never wanted anything more than to go with them. With him.

* * *

After flying through a maze, setting off proximity mines, and barely making it through closing blast doors, Poe made it to the exact location of the holovid depicting Lor San Tekka. He didn't know what he was expecting, but a giant, glowing, blue egg in the center of a circular chamber wasn't it. With the rest of Black Squadron on the surface of the planet, Poe landed his ship in the large chamber and climbed out with BB-8.

The small droid beeped a question.

"No," Poe answered while looking up at the egg. "Not what I was expecting either." He looked away, readying his comm. "I'm gonna check in with the others, let them know we made it." BB-8 beeped some more. "Sure, go for it. Track down that signal you were so worried about." BB-8 rolled towards the X-wing while Poe activated his comm. "Black Two, come in."

"I read you, Black Leader," Snap replied. "You make it through all right?"

"Yeah. Got a little dicey, but I'm in."

"What's down there?" Snap asked.

Poe looked at his surroundings. The chamber was lined with terraces with buildings on them. "Hard to say. Looks like a settlement maybe. Deserted, far as I can tell. There is a pretty big egg, though."

"Egg?" Snap repeated. Sometimes he questioned Poe's sanity. "What are you. . ." He shoved away his questioning and moved on. "Listen, is there anywhere we can land? Scanners don't see a flat surface anywhere near here bigger than a gundark."

"The cave's a tricky flight, Snap" Poe explained, watching BB-8 scan his ship. "I almost didn't make it through. You guys should be good on fuel for a bit. Why don't you let me look around a little, see if I-" The transmission cut out.

"You there, Black Leader?" Snap asked. "Poe! Come in!"

Poe silently cursed to himself, holding his hand in pain. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Shot my comlink right out of my hand." Poe turned around to see a group of people, some of whom were pointing blasters at him. "There's no need for that!" BB-8 rolled up next to him, brandishing his arc welder at the natives. "Easy! Easy, now. Everyone just calm down." BB-8 turned his head and beeped at Poe. "Yes, that means you too, BB-8. I'm sure we can all be pals. Eventually."

BB-8 begrudgingly put away his arc welder and Poe slowly unsheathed his blaster, holding it up non-threateningly. "My name is Poe Dameron, and the droid is BB-8," he introduced to the native group still pointing blasters at him. "We aren't here for trouble, see? Putting down my blaster." Poe lowered himself to the ground, setting down the blaster. "We're here because we're looking for someone. Show 'em, BB."

BB-8 used his holoprojector to show the paused holovid of Lor San Tekka kneeling beneath the blue egg suspended in the chamber they all stood in. What seemed to be the leader, a woman with pale skin, white hair, and the shape of an egg on her forehead, stepped forward, looking at the projection.

"That's. . . that's the explorer," she said, pointing at San Tekka.

"You got it," Poe said, standing up straight. "He was here unless there's another giant egg shrine around somewhere. I just need to talk to him, and then I'm out of your hair, I promise. Where is he?"

"Gone," the leader answered. "He left long ago."

That was exactly what Poe didn't want to hear. "Blast. Do you know where he went?"

"Even if we did, why would I tell you?" the leader asked. "I know the explorer. I trust him. You. . ." She turned and waved her hand, starting to walk away. "I do not know at all."

"Hey, come on," Poe pleaded as BB-8 turned off the holoprojector. "Give me a chance, lady."

The leader turned and gestured to the giant blue egg that cast a faint blue glow on them. "We are the Crèche," she explained to Poe. "This egg is our charge, our purpose, and our salvation. We protect and nurture it, and in return, we bathe in its radiance. Its presence guides our lives. It holds salvation itself, the savior unborn. Someday the egg will hatch, and we, or our descendants, shall receive our reward for keeping it safe these many generations. We will not allow anyone, _anyone_ to prevent that from happening."

"What's with the tone?" Poe asked, not liking the harshness in her voice when he hadn't even done anything. "I'm not here to hurt your egg. I like your egg!"

The leader stepped toward Poe, unamused. "The explorer spent two full seasons with us, learning our ways and communing with the savior unborn. He became our brother, and in return, we shared our secrets with him." She stepped close to Poe, eyeing him closely and standing a few inches taller. "Are _you_ willing to do the same, Poe Dameron?"

Poe took a moment. Even if he had the time, he doubted he'd be willing to spend two full seasons sitting in front of a giant glowing egg. He didn't have that kind of patience or focus or discipline. Though it did sound like something Colonel Aput could do as it was well-known throughout the Resistance base on D'Qar that he spent every morning meditating. But the 'communing with the savior unborn' part of the leader's speech reminded Poe of the stories he heard about the Jedi from his parents.

"I'm sort of on a deadline," Poe finally said.

The leader didn't seem surprised. "As I thought. I will tell you nothing."

BB-8 beeped at Poe. "What?" Poe looked down at the droid. "Sure, go ahead. Keep looking for that signal. I'm gonna see if I can figure this whole thing out." BB-8 rolled away, going back to the X-wing. Poe turned back to the leader who was starting to walk away again. "Look, I really need to know where Lor. . . uh, the explorer went. This may be a little hard to believe, but the fate of the galaxy is at stake."

The leader looked back at Poe. "We completely agree. That is why we have given up everything for our lives here. No matter what turbulent events shape the universe outside this place, as long as we protect the egg, all will be well in the end."

"And if billions of people die in the meantime?" Poe asked. "Come on, there has to be some way I can convince you I'm one of the good guys. This is ridiculous!" One of the natives pointed his blaster at Poe again, and Poe quickly raised his hands again. "Okay, okay, you're right, I got a little upset there. I'm good now. We're all good. Nice and relaxed." Poe typically prided himself on his ability to talk himself out of any situation, but he wasn't the best at staying level-headed.

BB-8 whistled loudly and rolled back to Poe, holding up a tracker. "Wait. . . what?" Poe asked at BB-8's beeps and whistles. He knelt next to his droid and grabbed the device from him. "Oh, no." Poe stood up, holding up the tracker. "You need to listen to me! Right now!"

"He's got a detonator!" the leader yelled. "He's threatening the egg! Take him down!"

 _Kriff_. "Hey, hey, let's not be hasty. This isn't a deton-" Poe dodged a blast, hitting the ground and dropping the tracker. He kicked the nearest native, a Trandoshan of all species, and grabbed the blaster. Poe stood, wielding the blaster. "Okay then." BB-8 brandished his arc welder again at the fallen Trandoshan. "Okay then!"

The leader rushed forward, waving her hands. "Please! Don't shoot the egg! Yo-you can't!"

Poe grabbed the tracker again and held it up. "You know what this is? A tracker," he explained now that they were all actually listening to him. "My droid just found it on my ship. It's been signaling my location ever since I arrived on this planet."

"I don't understand," the leader said. "Who. . . who has been tracking you?"

"The kind of people who'd boil up that egg and eat it for breakfast." Poe dropped the blaster, letting it hit the ground even as they still pointed blasters at him. He was taking a risk, and that's what he was best at. "People who are nothing like me. I've got people outside up on the surface. They've got ships, weapons. You let me get word to them and we can protect you. I promise."

Poe walked forward towards the leader and held out his hand. "Come on. What do you say?" he asked with a small smile. "Pals?" The leader slowly nodded and shook Poe's hand. Poe full-blown grinned, relieved to have defused the situation, but there was another one coming.

He went back to his ship, climbing inside to use the comms since his personal comlink had been shot and landed somewhere he didn't see. Turning it on, he said, "This is Black Leader. Anyone read?"

"Poe!" Snap exclaimed as the squadron flew over the planet surface. "Thank goodness." He thought Karena might kill him if he hadn't brought Poe back alive.

"I was about a second away from flying down into that cavern and looking for you, son," L'ulo said in his A-wing.

"I'm fine, L'ulo," Poe assured. "Listen, all of you, we've been made. There was a tracker on my ship. We're gonna have company, I think. The First Order's probably already on its way."

"You got a little wrong, Poe," Karé said.

"I'm not wrong, Karé. I'm looking at the tracker right now."

A floating platform hovered about the entrance to the cavern on the planet surface with TIE fighters, troop transports, and First Order personnel.

"Not about the tracker. About the First Order. They aren't on their way. They're already here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comic used is Star Wars: Poe Dameron #1. Also, the person Boba mentions in this chapter is from Legends, not canon at all.


	11. Agent Terex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These comics are Star Wars: Poe Dameron #2-4. I know you've probably gotten used to large time jumps, but this takes place immediately after the previous chapter.
> 
> ALSO! I'm on Instagram now! Follow me for the occasional update, sneak peek, or meme! It's jedi_olympian so please go do that if you'd like.

32 ABY

Poe had hidden his X-wing and was hiding with BB-8 thanks to the Crèche. He had also had BB-8 contact the squadron on the surface, though they didn't particularly like his vague orders. He had also found his personal comlink, still working, though that was a small happiness.

"Leverage?" Jess repeated as they flew. "That was really all Poe said, Snap? That was the entire order? 'Get me some leverage?'"

"Yeah, but what was he supposed to say, Jess?" Snap retorted. "He doesn't know the tactical situation up here."

"He trusts us to figure it out," L'ulo said. "Better that than give us bad orders. Mark of a good commander, and trust me, I've had my share of bad ones."

"Fair enough, L'ulo," Karé chimed in. "That's the real order. 'Figure it out.' Okay. Let's run through it. The First Order has control of the entrance to the cavern where Poe's stuck, and they just sent a stormtrooper squad down there, including some special weapons troops. We could blow it up, but we aren't allowed to engage with First Order forces unless they shoot first."

"We need that platform, Karé," Snap said. "There's nowhere to land on this planet. It's all mountains and ravines. If we stay here too long, we'll run out of fuel. But if we can get it, we'll have a landing spot, a chance to refuel, and control over the only way in and out of that cave. Leverage."

"Know what I think, Snap?" Jess said. "If we can get rid of those TIEs, we can do this. The ground troops on the platform would surrender right away. They can't fight starships. We need to get the TIEs to attack us. Somehow."

"Good idea, Jess," Karé praised. "But TIEs are faster and more maneuverable than X-wings. Especially those new special forces models. On a planet like this, with these canyons. . . could be tricky."

"Good thing we're not all flying X-wings, then, isn't it?" L'ulo said with a smirk. "Leave it to me." L'ulo did a quick flyby of the landing platform, dipping low and speeding past.

One of the troopers turned to the one next to him and asked, "Should we respond?"

The trooper shrugged and waved it off. "Eh."

After a few moments, it was clear they weren't responding. "Blast, it didn't work," L'ulo said. "Looks like they have the same orders we do. They won't shoot first either."

"It's alright, L'ulo," Karé assured. "We'll figure out something else."

"Let me try another pass." L'ulo began to descend towards the platform again.

"Another pass? If it didn't work the first time, what makes you think-"

L'ulo fired on the platform, making sure to not hit anyone or anything but the surface of the platform.

"L'ulo!" Karé exclaimed. "What did you do?"

"Finger slipped," L'ulo remarked nonchalantly. "But hey, good news. It worked."

TIE fighters lifted off the platform, following L'ulo's A-wing.

* * *

Meanwhile underground, the Crèche were being threatened by First Order troops, the leader of whom was an older man with a thin mustache and a tattoo on his left temple named Terex.

"So, troopers," Agent Terex addressed with his hands folded behind his back. "I'm not sure polite inquiry is providing the results I'm looking for. What do you say we see what's inside this big old egg of theirs?"

"No, please!" the leader of the Crèche exclaimed desperately. "Don't! You have no idea how crucial this egg's contents are. It is salvation itself!"

"Salvation itself, eh?" Terex repeated, staring up at the blue egg. "In that case, I'll leave it alone. Wouldn't want to ruin everyone's salvation. Probably. Where's Poe Dameron?"

"He's. . . he's. . ."

"I'm here!" Poe yelled, coming out from his hiding spot with his hands up. "I'm right here." He sauntered towards the First Order troops. "Stop torturing these poor people. I'm sure we can work everything out. Don't be hasty."

"Oh? Why not?" Terex asked.

Poe's frown deepened as he stopped in front of the older man and lowered his hands. "Excuse me?"

"You just said, 'Don't be hasty.' I'm curious to know why you think you can tell me to do anything at all. Seems like I've got all the leverage here, my new friend."

"Ah." Poe smirked. "Funny you should mention that. I didn't come here alone. I've got a squadron up on the surface. Pretty much the best starfighter pilots in the galaxy. And just before I walked down here, I gave them an order. I asked them to get me some leverage. So, you might think you've got it all under control, that you've got the upper hand, and maybe you do. . . down here, but I'll tell you this right now, you aren't seeing the bigger picture."

* * *

On the surface, Snap smiled at the empty platform and the destroyed TIEs. "Good job everyone," he said through the comms. "We need to land on that platform and get word to Poe. L'ulo, you go first. We'll cover you from up h-"

An explosion cut him off.

"Huh," L'ulo said, looking at the platform and seeing some smoke rising from it. "Must have hit it harder than I thought."

_"Looks like we've got a stalemate here, pal," Poe told Terex, unaware of the new situation topside._

"That's not all," L'ulo continued, watching the exploding platform teetering downward. "Look at the trajectory. It's going down right over the cave entrance."

"But that's the only way in or out," Jess said. "Poe will be trapped down there! This can't be what he wanted us to do!" The landing platform exploded again as it hit the cavern.

"The First Order's trapped down there, too," Snap reminded. "If I know Poe. . . that'll be all he needs."

Jess wasn't too happy about that. "You think so, Snap? Really?"

"I. . . I hope so."

* * *

Terex and Poe looked up to see the fire from the explosion billowing in through the tunnel. Terex smirked. "Stalemate?" Terex repeated, drawing Poe's attention again. "Oh, I don't know about that." He gestured to the flametroopers near him. "Gentlemen, if you please. . ."

The nearest flametrooper nodded and said, "Of course, sir."

The leader of the Crèche gasped, her eyes widening at the egg being set on fire by the flamethrowers. "No," she muttered, staring at the fire.

"Now, you're going to tell me everything I want to know, Dameron," Terex said as his troopers burned the egg. "That will happen in any case. The only decision you have in front of you is how quickly you tell me."

"Sing to the savior unborn!" the Crèche leader ordered her people. "Soothe its pain!"

Terex glanced at the Crèche then back at Poe. "You seem to care about these fools, for some reason. If you talk now, maybe I can see about saving their savior. If not, my men will get to enjoy the galaxy's largest omelet. See, here's the thing. Maybe you did pull something off up there. Perhaps, up there, you have the upper hand. But as you said, we're down here. And I didn't come alone either. In fact, I came here aboard the _Ravenous_ , a _Maxima_ -A class heavy cruiser which carries an extremely impressive complement of fighters and troopers." Poe didn't need to be Karena and know the exact capacity of the cruiser to know things weren't looking good for him. "It's in orbit above the planet as we speak. So, I'm afraid that whatever you think you've accomplished. . . whatever leverage you think you hold. . . you aren't seeing the bigger picture. So, Poe Dameron, let's talk."

The egg started to crack above them.

"What do you want, Terex?" Poe asked.

"It's Agent Terex if you please," Terex requested. "Titles matter. I am a ranking officer in the First Order Security Bureau. My job, in short, is to know things. You, of course, are Poe Dameron, pilot for the New Republic Navy, and more recently for Leia Organa's silly Resistance. But that's your name, not a title. Your title should be thief. Bandit. Crook. Scoundrel. You stole First Order property, data we bought and paid for, and I am here to get it back. That's what I want."

Poe's eyebrows furrowed. He had so many questions. First was how they even knew he was involved in the information Boba Fett had stolen from the First Order. The second was why they weren't going after Fett for it, but then Poe figured they either didn't know it was Fett or they didn't want to tangle with the galaxy's best bounty hunter. Third, how important was the information? It couldn't just be Lor San Tekka, could it?

"We all want things, pal," Poe said. "But until you tell your TIEs to call off their attack on my squadron, and ease up with the flamethrowers on that egg, we have nothing to talk about."

One thing Terex hated was people not giving him what he wanted. "You should be more worried about yourself, Poe. After all, your colleagues are flying starfighters. I'm sure they're just fine."

They were not 'just fine.'

* * *

On the surface, Black Squadron was being attacked. "Evasive action!" Snap ordered. "Keep your S-foils closed or we'll never out-fly these things."

"Where did they all come from, Snap?" Jess asked while dodging fire from a TIE behind her.

"The First Order must have a ship in orbit. Guess they didn't like us blowing up their landing platform."

"It doesn't matter why they're here," Jess argued. "We have to get out of their line of fire. They've got us five to one!"

"Agreed, Jess," L'ulo said. "We won't win this fight head-to-head. We need to buy time for Poe. Maybe he can figure out something down in the cavern."

"Okay, down to the canyons," Snap ordered. "Split up, try to stay ahead of them. If you can take one out, do it. Maybe we can even the odds a little."

"Do you think that will actually work, Snap?" Karé asked.

"I don't know, but it's all I've got."

* * *

Terex stared Poe down. "Now, you are clearly a criminal. I could arrest you and bring you up on charges in either a New Republic court or a First Order tribunal. But that would take so long, and I'm not the most patient man. In situations like this, I prefer more direct solutions. I turn up the heat, if you w-"

The egg cracked loudly that time, drawing everyone's attention. The flametroopers lowered their flamethrowers.

"Hmm." Terex stared up at the egg curiously.

"Huh," Poe said. "How about that. You actually can stop talking."

"Uh, sir, should we-" one of the troopers started to ask, but he was cut off.

"The savior unborn!" the leader of the Crèche preached. "It comes at last! Our long vigil is ended. We will be redeemed!" Everyone took a few steps back at the eggshell breaking, the pieces hitting the ground beneath it. A large, glowing blue figure landed on the ground, having sprung from the egg. It stood multiple stories tall, towering like a giant over the humans. "We welcome you, oh savior unborn! We are the Crèche, your loyal servants and protectors these many generations!"

Poe pulled out his comlink while everyone was focused on the giant blue creature. "This could be our shot," he said into it, talking to BB-8 who was still hiding. "If you see an opening, you take it."

"Please," the Crèche leader said to the creature. "Lead us. Show us how to save this sinner's world."

The creature screeched, spreading its wings, then it swiped at the natives, knocking them away.

Terex huffed, watching the natives hit the ground. "So much for saviors." Poe tried to attack the agent, which Terex sidestepped and threw him to the ground. "A sucker punch, eh? Well, you aren't the first to try it, and I suppose you won't be the last." Terex kicked Poe in the back. "But you should know, when it comes to dirty tricks, I am absolutely filthy." Terex adjusted his gloves. "You probably ought to stick to playing hero in your X-wing. . ." Terex trailed off as he reached for his blaster only to find it wasn't there.

"That wasn't a sucker punch, Terex," Poe said, standing up and turning around, holding Terex's blaster that BB-8 had handed to him. "It was a distraction."

* * *

"Black Three, report!" Snap ordered.

"I've got three of these blasted things on me," Jess said. "The terrain's helping and the booster mods I installed are keeping me ahead of them for now. They can't get a clear shot. But they're gaining ground on me with every turn. Gonna try something, see if I can't push 'em back a little."

"Roger that. Good luck, Jess."

Jess looked at a rocky overpass ahead of her. "Alright, this better be some Jedi business right here," she mumbled. She blasted the archway right before passing underneath. The overpass exploded, sending rocks down and destroying the TIEs behind her. "Boom! Take that you-" Two more TIEs appeared in front of her, shooting at her.

"Black Three! Acknowledge! You alright?" Snap asked through the comm.

"I'm hit!" Jess reported, smoke coming from her wing and astromech. "My astromech's fried. Two more of them came out of nowhere. I'm losing power. Not sure how long I can hold on down here, Snap."

"This was a bad idea," Snap said. "All fighters, pull up. We need to get back out into the open air." He narrowly dodged a rock formation and TIE blaster fire.

"How will that be better?" L'ulo asked. "We're still outnumbered, Snap!"

"I'm not saying we can win, L'ulo. But right now, we're each on our own. Up there, at least we'll be fighting together."

L'ulo nodded to himself. "Ah, I see. Order acknowledged, Black Two. See you up there."

"Karé, in case I don't get a chance to say this back at the base," Snap said as he began flying out of the rocky terrain, "what we've had over the last few months. . ."

Karé cut in during his pause. "You're gonna tell me back at base, Wexley," she said harshly. Black Squadron formed up over the surface, staring down the TIE fighters in front of them. "You're gonna tell me back at the base."

* * *

Down below, the First Order troopers were firing at the giant, winged, blue, glowing creature with no progress and narrowly avoiding being hit by the thing, and Poe and Terex were staring each other down with Poe pointing a blaster at Terex.

"It's over, Terex," Poe said. "Tell your fighters to pull back to orbit, and call off the attack down here."

"I think you're misreading the situation, Poe," Terex replied. "My troopers aren't attacking. They're defending." He gestured to the creature that his men were firing upon. "I'm not sure these Crèche idiots had any idea what was inside that egg all this time. My troopers are the only thing keeping any of us alive."

"Why are you doing this?" the Crèche leader asked the creature, stepping towards it ahead of her people. "How have we angered you? Please, tell us where we have gone wr-" The creature grabbed her lifting her up towards its mouth. "Please, no!"

Right before the creature could place her in its mouth, another giant creature came out of nowhere, punching it, forcing it to drop the Crèche leader. The new creature was black with red glowing eyes and a red glowing mouth as opposed to the first one's glowing white eyes and mouth and bright blue skin.

Poe's attention was torn away from Terex by the creatures beginning to fight each other. "Whoa." BB-8 beeped next to Poe. "I know, buddy. Kind of makes you think." The agent then attacked the pilot, capitalizing on the distraction and grappling for the blaster, much to Poe's exasperation. "Would you just give it up?"

"Never. That is my blaster, Dameron. And once I have it back I will kill you." Terex kicked BB-8 away. "And your idiot droid, too. You may wonder why I would kill you, as you still haven't given me the information you stole from the First Order."

"I didn't even steal it! And I'm mostly wondering how to get you to shut up."

"I've been trying to understand why you're fighting so hard to save these fools, and I think I finally see. You're not fighting to protect them. You're fighting to protect something they have, something they haven't given to you yet. That's why you were still here when I arrived. Whatever you want, they still have it, and that means I can get it from them." Terex twisted Poe's arm, forcing him to drop the blaster then elbowed him in the face, knocking him down. "And so really, Mr. Thief, I don't need you alive at all."

Poe rubbed his jaw. "Well, great. Real glad you worked all that out." He'd much rather be kicked around by a certain attractive blonde instead of the First Order agent.

"Take cover!" one of the troopers yelled.

The fighting creatures lifted off into the air with their wings and hit the ceiling of the chamber. Boulders fell from the ceiling where the creatures had hit a hole through. Terex watched his troopers get crushed by rocks.

"No!"

BB-8 zapped Terex from behind.

* * *

"Getting low on fuel, Black Two," Karé said, avoiding being shot down from a TIE.

"We all are, Black Four," Snap responded. "Just keep flying!"

"Black Squadron!" Poe's voice cut in through the comms. "This is Black Leader, come in Black Squadron!"

Before they could respond, the fighting creatures from down below broke through the surface.

Snap's eyes widened at the sight of a giant demonic creature fighting a giant blue copy of itself. "What in the name of-" Snap shook his head, missing being hit by rubble.

"Uh. . ." Poe drew out. "If you can hear me, heads up. Something's headed your way. It's. . . it's a little hard to describe."

Too little too late, Poe.

"Black Squadron, on me!" Snap ordered. The creatures continued to fly into the air, their wings taking out many of the TIE fighters. Snap led the squadron under the fighting creatures. "Looks like those things made us a way out."

"Way in," Karé corrected.

"Whatever. Let's just get down there and land."

Black Squadron flew into the cavern using the hole the creatures made, letting the creatures continue dighting each other.

* * *

After the natives and the Resistance pilots rounded up what was left of Terex's squad, Poe started talking to the Crèche leader again.

"And what will you do now, Dameron?" Terex asked from where he stood with his troops. Crèche members were pointing blasters at them, keeping them corralled. Poe turned away from the Crèche leader to look at Terex. "You won't kill me. You would have done it already. And you can't take me prisoner. If you did, you would give the First Order clear justification to launch an attack on the New Republic. You haven't won. You've simply lost in a somewhat creative fashion."

Poe smirked at the older man. "You know what, man? You're sort of a drag." He turned away, looking back at the Crèche leader, L'ulo, and Snap.

"This problem is easily solved," L'ulo suggested. "Terex can't have many TIEs left. Once we refuel, we can fly up and take out his cruiser in orbit on our way home. Let the Crèche decide what to do with him."

"It's no good," Poe said. "The First Order would send another ship, maybe even a Star Destroyer. They'd burn this whole planet looking for him."

"So, what. . . we just let him go?" Snap asked.

"Yes," the Crèche leader said, looking up into the hole. "We will let him go. He can't hurt us anymore." From the hole, a single giant creature flew down, landing on one of the terraces in the cavern. It looked like a morphed version of the two that were fighting. Blue skin with glowing red veins and eyes. The Crèche leader gestured to it. "The savior. . . born. It will carry us far from here, to wherever our new life will begin." Crèche members began climbing the creature.

Poe was still confused about the whole thing. A giant, winged, blue creature fighting a giant, winged, black creature and then somehow morphing together? He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He wondered if Karena would call him crazy when he recounted the tale to her.

"Can I ask you something?" Poe wondered.

"Of course, Poe Dameron," the Crèche leader said. "You fought for us. You worked to save us when it would have been easier to save yourself. Ask me anything."

Poe glanced at the creature the people were climbing. "Well, I do have the one big question, but before that, tell me, all this time, all those generations down here, did you guys have any idea what was actually in that egg?"

"No. But that was never the point." _Faith was the point. Hope was the point. Believing in something greater than yourself was the point._

Before leaving the pilots, the Crèche leader answered Poe's original question: the one that led him to the planet in the first place. Where Lor San Tekka had gone after leaving.

The creature lifted into the air, carrying the Crèche on its back.

Poe and the rest of Black Squadron faced Terex and the three remaining troopers. "Okay," he began. "Here's how we're gonna do this: I get out of here with my guys, and you get to stay down here for the time being. On our way out, we'll radio your cruiser to come pick you up. Everybody goes home, and we forget this ever happened."

Terex glared at the commander. "Oh, I doubt I will ever forget this happened, Poe Dameron."

Poe turned around with a wave. "Uh, huh. See you around, Agent Terex."

Black Squadron left the planet, radioed the cruiser, and got ready to enter hyperspace. BB-8 beeped a question from his nook in Poe's X-wing.

"Yeah, Bee," Poe answered. "She told me where Lor San Tekka went when he left this planet. Looks like we're going to prison."

* * *

After returning to D'Qar, reporting to Leia, filling out their reports on the mission, and stripping off their equipment or changing into civilian attire, Black Squadron met in the galley and filled their cups with well-earned alcohol. They could all use a celebratory drink after the mess of a day they had.

Poe raised his cup. "Here's to Black Squadron! Here's to you!" he announced to his squad.

"Hear hear!" the rest of the squad chorused, raising their cups, too. Together, they took a drink and broke off into pairs.

"Yeah, that's the good stuff," L'ulo said into his cup. He lowered it, looking at Poe. "By the Force, I needed that Poe."

Poe grinned at the man who helped raise him. "You and me both. All of us. We barely made it through that egg business. Time to blow off a little steam."

"And to celebrate," L'ulo added. "We showed the First Order who we are."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, L'ulo." Kriff, Poe hated having to step up and be the authority sometimes. They were under strict orders to not fire first unless told otherwise, and while Poe hated that order, he had to follow it and he had to enforce it. "I reviewed the after-action reports. You escalated the situation. You completely blew off the rules of engagement. You fired first. You gave the First Order an excuse to attack us."

"Absolutely, and I'd do it again." The older Duros had been fighting since before Poe was even born. He would absolutely own up to firing first, regardless of the consequences. "We both know that's where things are headed. Every TIE fighter we destroy now is one less that can attack us when things get really hot. We have to fight them every chance we get."

"What do you think this is, L'ulo?" Poe gestured to the other members of the squadron. Karé was smiling at Snap and Jess was conversing with Oddy. He then pointed at himself. "I'm the best." He pointed at L'ulo. "And you're the best, too. We're all the best, one on one. No First Order pilot can come close to us. Bang bang, boom boom, we win. But the thing is, if we give them a reason to attack us before we're ready, it won't be one on one. It'll be a hundred to one. A thousand. That's why General Organa had me put Black Squadron together. It's our job to find the things we'll need to beat them when things do go hot, and to help the New Republic understand that they're a real threat. Because you're right, L'ulo, it is just a matter of time. The clock is ticking."

Poe set a hand on L'ulo's shoulder, looking earnestly up at him. "Let's not speed it up, eh?" L'ulo slowly nodded. Poe gestured with his head towards the other pilots. "Go celebrate a job well done, alright?" L'ulo gave Poe a small smile, proud of the man the young boy had grown into, patted him on the shoulder, and walked towards Snap and Karé who were finishing up a serious conversation.

Poe looked over his squadron, his soft smile slowly shifting into a frown.

"Who thought you'd be the adult, huh?"

Poe quickly turned around at the sound of the melodic voice he had missed while away. He smiled at Karena who leaned against the frame of the doorway into the room. With a smirk and her arms crossed over her chest, she tilted her head, looking over the hotshot pilot.

Poe took long strides over to her. "Miss me, sweetheart?" he asked.

"I actually enjoyed the quiet." Poe chuckled, not taking her words to heart, and held out his cup to her, silently offering. She shook her head. "Nah, I think I've learned not to drink with you."

He shrugged, lifting his cup to his lips. "Suit yourself."

"Heard the report from Leia. A giant egg and a flying glowing creature?" Karena raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I wouldn't believe it either," he said. "If the rest of them hadn't seen it too, I'd probably think I hit my head and hallucinated it. Or, you know what, maybe I did hit my head and I need someone to help nurse me back to health?" He grinned at her as he took another sip of his drink.

"I can escort you to the med-center if you'd like?" Karena asked with a teasing grin.

Poe pouted. "Oh, come on."

"Celebrate with your squadron, Poe," she said, her expression softening. "I came to tell you I'm heading out. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

"Be careful."

"You too."

Poe watched her walk away.

Snap, Karé, and L'ulo had watched their exchange, and when Karena left Poe there, Snap sighed and shook his head. "They just need to kiss already."

Karé nodded quickly, in complete agreement. "Tell me about it."

L'ulo eyed Poe's back. "You know, I still haven't figured out why she looks so kriffing familiar."

Snap decided not to inform him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Karena or Kelin in this chapter, I just thought it might be relevant/interesting to show how Black Squadron went about finding Lor San Tekka and what the situation with the First Order was like before The Force Awakens.


	12. Cost of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two comics used in this chapter are Star Wars: Poe Dameron #13 and #14.

32 ABY

The _Desert Dragon_ flew low over the treeline of Yavin IV. Gray beeped sadly, perched on Karena's shoulder as the ship flew closer to the Great Temple, the former Jedi Praxeum and Rebel Base on the planet. Much of it was in ruins, but with the hollow shell it once was and the large debris laying around it, one could imagine the magnificent site it once was.

Karena landed the ship on the former tarmac outside the old temple as some of it had been cleared for ships to land four years prior.

The young Skywalker had been on Dantooine for a mission, having been there for three weeks. Given how large the galaxy was, it was relatively close to Yavin IV, so for some reason, she felt the need to make the short trip to the jungle planet. She didn't really understand why she felt the need to go. It wasn't the anniversary of the incident; that wasn't for another month. It didn't seem like the Force coaxing her there either. It was just her own feeling.

Regardless, Karena lowered the loading ramp of her ship and slowly walked out.

It all hit her at once. All the pain, agony, desperation, anger, and sadness, as well as all the happiness, joy, excitement, and hope. All of the good and all of the bad. The life and the death. Black spots dotted her vision and a wave of nausea rolled through her.

Overwhelmed, Karena quickly turned around, starting back towards her ship but paused right before stepping on the ramp. She shook her head, closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath before turning back around.

 _They're just memories_ , she told herself. _The memories can't hurt you_.

Karena looked out over the remains of the temple and began walking, dragging her feet along the ruined pavement with a heavy heart. Memory after memory flashed through her mind as she walked through the rubble towards the main part of the temple, running her hand along the larger chunks of debris.

She remembered everything as if it were yesterday. The Force had imprinted the sorrow in the very being of the place. A place that was meant to be a symbol of peace and prosperity had been reduced to a haunted graveyard of misery.

Kicking aside a few rocks, Karena sat down in front of what still stood in the temple. Crossing her legs beneath her and closing her eyes, she folded her hands in her lap and used the Force to calm herself, pushing through the tension in her shoulders and joints and the anxiety controlling her thoughts. Though anger still brewed deep inside her, latching on to her most basic feelings and memories.

She sat there in silence, meditating with the Force swirling around her until something broke the silence.

"Darling. . ."

Karena opened her eyes to see the translucent, blue ghost of her mother sitting in front of her. She looked exactly the same as Karena remembered her. The same wrinkles around her eyes and strands of gray in her long, dark hair.

"Mom." Karena's voice broke with the single word.

Jedi Master Kaleena Kenobi-Skywalker smiled at her daughter. "Karena, it's been a long four years."

"I miss you," Karena said, her voice shaking and lip quivering. "It's. . . I. . ."

"I know. I know, and I'm here."

"Dad's not."

Kaleena shifted her gaze downward, the corners of her mouth dipping into a frown. "I know. I wish he was, but I understand why he's not."

A violent scoff escaped Karena as she shook her head with a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Wish I knew. He left us right here, broken. He abandoned us, he abandoned Aunt Leia, and he abandoned the galaxy."

"I don't think that was his intention." Kaleena reached forward, her ghostly fingers light brushing over Karena's hand, leaving a cold imprint of nothingness. "You've let your anger towards your father and Ben fester and grow. They're not the ones who deserve your energy."

Karena's eyebrows furrowed together. "Then who?"

"Only when you've set aside your anger and let go of the past will you see clearly." Kaleena gave her daughter a gentle smile as she sat up straight. "You have your whole life ahead of you, if only you would let yourself live it, then you could see what I see. I wish you and your brother the best. I love you both with all my heart." The edges of the blue figure began to fade.

"Wait, Mom," Karena tried.

Kaleena shook her head as she continued to disappear before Karena's eyes. "Your father and I will be with you wherever you go. And the Force will be with you. Always."

Karena was left alone on the tarmac, with only her mother's words of wisdom to guide her.

* * *

One thing Karena didn't like about being a Colonel in Resistance Intelligence was her technically being in charge of other spies. The only person she reported to was Leia as the highest rank in the intelligence division was Colonel which left all other Resistance spies to report to Karena if not reporting to Leia or someone of equal rank within the division. But when she was on base, the spies reported to Karena, and she divvied out the missions devised by her brother and others. She also occasionally conversed with C-3PO, Leia's long-standing protocol droid, who had a network of droids spying throughout the galaxy for the Resistance as well.

She'd much rather talk to Artoo, but he never moved from his spot collecting dust, leaving her to quietly wish Threepio would collect dust instead. Or at least stop jabbering away at random times.

In the Command Center a few days after returning from her short trip to Yavin IV, Karena was looking over a report sent by Seossra Thwisp, a Caphex spy stationed in the borderlands to keep tabs on First Order activity, when she heard familiar beeping behind her.

Karena lowered the datapad and turned to see the yellow and copper astromech U5-GG, or Gigi, strolling over. Behind Gigi was her owner Vi Moradi, codenamed Starling, a dark-skinned human female who wore a bright orange jacket.

Karena's eyebrow twitched up as Vi walked over and leaned against the terminal that Karena stood at. "Starling," she greeted, eyeing Vi skeptically. She hadn't been expecting to see Vi as she was usually stationed in Hutt Space and returned to base even less often than Karena did. They had only met in person twice and barely communicated through messages unless required.

"Vornskr," Vi returned with a nod. "General Organa said to report to you the moment I touched down, so here I am." She held her arms out to the side.

"Did she say why because that's news to me?"

"Something about receiving an interesting report from the borderlands."

Karena groaned and waved the datapad in her hand. "What's the point of me reading these reports if she's going to read them before me? I'm not even finished with it." She rubbed her temple for a moment then continued. "Thwisp is getting close to something and needs a hand. I was going to go there myself, but I guess Leia volunteered you instead." She handed the datapad to Vi so she could look over the report.

And Karena was so hoping to hop onto another mission after returning with nothing to do.

Vi scrolled through the report, skimming it, then grimaced. "Telos? Never even heard of it. Suppose it makes sense for the First Order to be hiding out there then." Vi lowered the datapad. "Why does the general want me on this instead of you?"

"You think I know what goes on in her head?" Karena asked. Though she did have her suspicions. Aunt Leia just loved to try and keep her away from the First Order unless necessary.

A small sigh left Vi. "Good point." She handed back the datapad. "I'll head out as soon as my ship's fueled up and my provisions are restocked."

"I'll upload the report to Gigi, so you can look it over more on your way."

As Karena had Gigi plug in to the computer terminal and Vi waited patiently, or as patiently as she could while fiddling with random things within arms reach, another person walked into the Command Center. The moment Karena felt the familiar Force signature, she turned to look.

Poe was still dressed in his flight suit as he walked through the Command Center, heading toward Leia's office with the golden protocol droid C-3PO. He had just touched down with Black Squadron, having returned from another mission in their quest to find Lor San Tekka. His eyes met Karena's as he walked past. He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back at him up until he left her direct line of sight.

Karena turned back to focus on the droid, but Vi crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "What was that?"

Karena looked up at Vi. "What?"

Vi's face twisted up in a mixture of disappointment and exasperation. "Commander Hotshot? Really?"

Karena rolled her eyes. "We're just friends." Though that seemed to be changing.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

* * *

33 ABY

A few weeks later, Poe stood over a downed and beaten Agent Terex with a First Order officer and stormtrooper carrier behind him and his squadron flying above. Well, most of his squadron. Three X-wings were in the sky with no A-wing in sight which could only mean one thing: they lost L'ulo against Terex's men while going against Terex's fleet. The First Order was about to take Agent Terex away, but Poe had something to say.

The Resistance pilot turned on his comm while kneeling next to Terex and asked, "Black Two, if you're here, it means you got past Terex's fleet, right?"

"Terex's fleet is gone," Snap reported through the comlink. "Every ship. We did our part, but then the First Order showed up and finished them off. They even took out the flagship, the _Carrion Spike_. They are not happy with him."

Poe smirked at Terex who glared at him, still unable to move much at all due to BB-8 having electrocuted him. "Yeah, about what I thought," Poe said. "Thanks, Black Two."

Although beaten, Terex still tried to get under Poe's skin. "I can only see three fighters in the air, Dameron, when there should be four," Terex said tauntingly. "You lost someone today."

A wave of despair flowed through Poe, but he refused to let it show. "Yeah, saw that too. I think it was my friend L'ulo. Still processing that. You and I both lost, Terex. No doubt in my mind." Poe leaned forward, staring Terex down. "But there's a difference between us. I lost a friend, but you lost pretty much everything, and when I give you to the First Order, I bet they'll take the rest." Poe grabbed a strap from Terex's armor, ready to drag the man over to the First Order. "Your fight is over. Mine's just getting started."

The flight back to D'Qar was solemn for Black Squadron after they finished a few things on the planet, and when they dropped out of hyperspace above D'Qar the following morning, the base and especially Leia were saddened to hear of L'ulo's death. Black Squadron submitted their reports, got cleaned up, and dressed in their Resistance uniforms.

A few hours before sunset, it was time for the funeral. Black Squadron, or rather what was left of it due to them losing two members, stood at the front of the gathered Resistance members. Most of those in attendance were pilots, officers, and friends of L'ulo's as the base still needed to function even during the funeral.

Karena stood off to the side of the formal proceeding next to C-3PO and BB-8 with Gray on her shoulder. She hadn't known L'ulo very well, having only spoken in passing when Poe, Snap, or Leia were already talking to her, but she knew he had fought in the Rebellion with her parents, godparents, aunt, and uncle. It seemed with each passing day more and more remnants of the Rebel Alliance were disappearing even though the fight hadn't ended.

Dressed in a long black dress and her hair braided in a crown, Leia stood on a platform next to a coffin with the Rebel Alliance Starbird on the side. "This is a sad day," Leia began, a hand on L'ulo's coffin. "We have lost one of our own. L'ulo L'ampar, a skilled, fierce warrior who spent his life fighting on the side of all that is good and right in the galaxy. As he lived, he died, and we will miss him very much." Leia glanced down at the coffin with a fond, sad smile. "I could tell you stories about L'ulo for hours, and I'm sure that time will come. Right now, though, I would like his commanding officer to say a few words."

She motioned for Poe to step forward. As he walked up the steps to the coffin, Leia asked, "Are you ready, Poe?"

"Not really," he answered honestly. He drummed his fingers on the coffin as Leia moved to the side of the platform to give him space. "Not for this."

Karena frowned deeply as she stared up at the hotshot pilot. It wasn't often that she saw him completely serious, and it didn't help that she could plain as day feel his despair from where she stood. It wasn't just despair: it was anger, resolve, distress, and grief. It was a mixture of so many emotions brought on by L'ulo's death. But it was more than that. The overarching emotion that stood out over all of the ones he felt was guilt.

He blamed himself.

Even with those crippling emotions that would bring many people down into a spiraling void of depression or numbness, his determination broke through. His hope broke through. Poe stood tall next to the coffin, refusing to let himself break down despite it being all he wanted to do.

"These days, we don't talk about the Force that much," Poe said to the gathered troops. "I don't know if it's gone out of fashion, or if it's just harder to see around us. It was different for me growing up. We used to tell stories about the Force all the time. I'd like to tell one now." Poe looked back at Leia for a moment before continuing to address the crowd. "I heard it from an old friend of my family, someone who understands the Force as well as anyone alive."

From the end of one of the rows, Kelin glanced at his sister who shared the same skeptical expression he did. _Really?_ Kelin asked her through the Force.

The twins turned their attention to Leia who gave them both a stern look as if she knew what they were already thinking. To be fair, she probably did. Even though she didn't often utilize the Force to its fullest extent, Leia had an extremely good read on people. She didn't need to use the Force to know people, especially not her niece and nephew.

"She told me about an old Jedi she knew," Poe continued, unaware of the silent conversation between the Skywalkers, "one of the very last. He was as strong and tough as any of them and went out fighting evil, just like L'ulo did."

 _Is he really talking about_. . . Karena thought. She didn't finish the thought and hadn't meant for Kelin to hear it, but he did and knew where she was going with it.

 _Yeah, he is_ , Kelin finished, bringing his hand up to the thin chain around his neck, the chain holding a kyber crystal that had once belonged to the very man Poe had decided to tell a story about.

"She was there when it happened," Poe said. "And she told me his body just vanished. Empty robes and a lightsaber, that's all that was left. She didn't get it, didn't understand, not until a long time later when she was talking to the Jedi's daughter. She was also a Jedi and told her something she'd learned during her training. We're not this." Poe put a hand on his chest. "We're not just flesh and bone. Not just stuff. We're _more_. We're luminous. That's what she said."

Poe touched the coffin once more. "This coffin's empty. A lot of empty coffins in this business. That's how starfighter pilots go. One second we're there, next we're just atoms, drifting through the universe. We vanish, just like that old Jedi did. But that doesn't mean we're gone."

If anything Poe had said would strike a chord in any of the three Skywalkers in attendance, it was that. _But that doesn't mean we're gone_. Kelin and Karena could almost feel their mother's arms wrapped around them once again or their father's hand on their shoulder.

"L'ulo was pretty much my uncle," Poe said. "He helped raise me since I was a kid. He was cranky, kind, strong, and one of the best pilots I've ever met. If he saw a way to help someone, he'd take it, and he never turned away from a fight against the bad guys, no matter the odds. You want to talk luminous? L'ulo L'ampar was about as luminous as they come. The stuff might be gone, but he's not. I can still feel him." He put his hands over his heart. "Right here. Shining away. May the Force be with you, L'ulo. And with all of us."

* * *

After the funeral, Poe hid away in the hangar with his ruined X-wing and BB-8, already getting to work on fixing it back up. He needed to keep moving, keep his mind busy and his hands working.

Poe knelt on the left-wing of his ship. The top wing was off, destroyed, leaving only the bottom one. A few panels along the nose were also missing, at least one of the engines needed to be replaced, and the whole thing had to be scrubbed down due to grime and smoke damage. And he hadn't even touched base with things like the targeting systems or radar or any of the wiring. He also had a feeling the landing mechanism needed work, too. Unfortunately for him, he almost always completely refused any help from the mechanics for his personal ship, which meant it was up to him and solely him to put _Black One_ back together.

"Man, it's going to take forever to get her flying again," he said. BB-8 beeped a few times in reassurance from his place on the floor below. Poe nodded. "Good point, pal. Could have been worse." They could both be blown to atoms as L'ulo had been.

Leia walked into the hangar, looking up at Poe. "You didn't feel like joining the wake, Poe?" she asked. "Everyone's telling stories about L'ulo, and I shared a bottle of Corellian Reserve Han gave me a few years ago."

"Corellian Reserve?" Poe repeated, a little surprised. "Where did he get a bottle of that?"

"Better not ask."

He started climbing down the ladder, knowing Leia wasn't in the hangar to just invite him outside to the tarmac. "I'm not sure I feel much like celebrating, General. I'll get back in there soon. I just need a little time."

"I'm sorry, Poe," Leia said. "But I'm not sure you have it." Poe frowned, moving to stand in front of her. "The action that killed L'ulo nearly pulled us into open war with the First Order. We need to debrief, and we need to do it now."

"Of course, General. What can I tell you?"

"Oddy Muva, where is he?"

"I. . . don't know," Poe revealed. For a moment, he had almost forgotten how they had gotten into the mess the previous day, the reason they had met Terex in the first place. He had been focused on L'ulo's death and then moving forward, and Leia was bringing him back to the reason it had happened. They had been betrayed.

"We found the escape pods he took from the _Carrion Spike_ ," he explained, "and most of the slaves he rescued, but he wasn't with them. They told us Oddy reconfigured one of the other pods and took off again with another slave before we got there."

"And you're sure he was funneling information to the First Order?"

"He was talking to Agent Terex, that's for sure. Nothing else makes sense." Poe's eyes softened as he shook his head. "But then he helped Black Squadron in the battle against Terex which does not make sense. Not that the idea of my Abednedo repair tech turning traitor makes much sense in the first place."

"We'll find him," Leia reassured. She didn't like it one bit, the idea of a member of the Resistance turning against them and working for the First Order. And Oddy had seemed like such a good person as well. "One problem at a time. . . When you brought Threepio back from your mission to Kaddak, he was missing his memory unit. Looked like it was cut out. We've rebooted him with a backup, but if someone has that memory chip and can get past Threepio's encryption algorithms, with the things that droid knows. . . Threepio swears to me that no one can break his encryption. We'll just have to hope that's the case. And if it's not, well. . ."

"We'll handle it. Just like we always do."

Leia appreciated his determination and conviction, but sometimes it hid a deeper problem. "Don't talk like that." Poe blinked a few times, unsure of what she meant, and she continued. "I know you want to brush aside L'ulo's death and just shove on to the next mission. Everything's easy for Poe Dameron, right? No reason to dwell. But sometimes, flyboy, you need to take a minute. You're grounded, Poe Dameron."

"What?" he exclaimed, gaping at her. "You can't ground me, General. There's too much to do. I have to find Oddy Muva before he can do any more damage. Terex is still out there, too. But most of all, I still have to find Lor San Tekka. Did you forget about that? He's the path to Luke Skywalker."

Leia's gaze hardened at the hotshot pilot. "I'm not going to forget my own brother. Everything you listed is important, but. . ." She sighed. "Look. Let me ask you a question. What's the most valuable thing you have to offer the Resistance? Don't be modest. Just answer me."

For a moment, Poe hesitated. He liked to boast, but the people who knew him knew he wasn't serious about his boasting most of the time. The boasting was always hiding insecurities because it made it easier, made him confident, made him fearless. He liked to joke around, poke fun, urge others around him to greatness, and only occasionally did he allow himself to truly revel in his own accomplishments.

He thought Leia had asked him a trick question or that she was trying to lead him into a trap, but the look on her face could only be read one way. She was dead serious. She wanted to hear him say what he and others so often joked about because it was true even if he didn't always believe it himself.

"I'm. . . the best pilot we have," he finally said. "I can fly anything, and I can shoot down anything. You put me behind the controls and there's nothing I can't do."

A small smile graced her expression. "Right. Well, I did tell you not to be modest. I don't disagree. You're a once-in-a-generation flyer, but tell me, is that all you are?"

His eyebrows creased together. "Uh. . . I'm not sure I. . ."

"Pilots are important Poe, but they aren't rare," she explained. "Good pilots, even great pilots like you, they're needed, but they don't win wars." Leia set a hand on his shoulder. "You need something much rarer for that."

Poe took a step back, still not sure what the general was meaning to imply. "General, I _am_ just a pilot. Point me at the bad guys and let me do my thing, you know? I don't understand what you're getting at."

"I know you don't understand, Poe. That's why you're grounded." She then started to walk away, leaving Poe and BB-8 behind. "Come talk to me when you figure it out."

* * *

Karena and Kelin sat atop of the hangar overlooking where the wake for L'ulo was occurring. Neither felt right joining the celebration of life as they hadn't known L'ulo well. They would've felt like outsiders, so they climbed on top of the hangar and sat on the stone overhang. They hung their legs over the edge, looking at the people down below.

"It was a beautiful ceremony," Kelin said, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah, it was," Karena agreed quietly.

"And all the stuff he was saying about the Force wasn't as terrible as I thought it was going to be when he first started talking."

"Yeah."

"I think L'ulo would have liked it, though I'll admit I didn't really know him. May have seen him on Yavin once or twice when we were younger, but I don't think he had been all too close with Mom, Wedge, or Hobbie when in the Rebellion."

"Mhmm."

Kelin looked at his sister. His twin. He couldn't get a real reading on her, though her short answers were very telling. She wasn't blocking him as she did with everyone else whether they're Force-users or regular people. She hadn't settled on a single thought or feeling, yet she also didn't have a flurry of emotion nor was she conflicted. She was blank. Numb. Void.

"Mom is here with us," he decided to say.

It took Karena a moment to reply. "So is Dad."

He sighed, begrudgingly agreeing. Swinging his legs, he picked at his pants. He usually tried to keep emotion out of everything he did, everything he planned, every action he took, every thought that passed through his mind. But family was one thing he couldn't do that for, especially not regarding Luke Skywalker.

"I know you're still angry at him," Karena said. "I am, too. You still feel the pain, and you don't care for the same closure I do, only to forget it ever happened. That's why I'm always on the move looking for answers and you hide away on the base pretending everything is okay. But Mom told me I needed to set aside my anger to move on and focus on the real enemy. I didn't know exactly who she meant at first, but now I think I do. It's not Dad or Ben. The real enemy is the First Order, the Dark Side of the Force, the people spreading hatred and fear, not the victims of it which, like it or not, includes both Dad and Ben."

Karena looked at her brother, meeting his eyes, seeing the sadness hidden within. "I think Dameron got something right in his speech. One day, we'll vanish, just like our grandparents, just like Mom, but they each went out the way they lived. Cattleya went out protecting those she cared about. Padmé went out seeing the best in others. Then Anakin sacrificing himself for those he loved and Obi-Wan fighting for justice. Finally, Mom went out fighting the darkness in herself and others." She shook her head, a few tears prickling at her eyes. "I don't want to die hating our father or allowing my anger to fester like an infected wound. I want to die fighting for what's right. I want to die for those I love. I'm not saying I forgive him for abandoning us, but it's been four years, and I'm exhausted. I want to live, not just survive."

Movement below caught her eye, and Karena saw Poe walking out onto the tarmac to join his fellow pilots at the wake.

"I want to truly live."

* * *

Poe bolted upright in bed, chest heaving and a thin layer of cold sweat on his skin. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to push aside the dream, no, the nightmare he had. It started fine. He was flying over the jungle on Yavin IV with L'ulo at his side. Others were flying with them, too, like Snap, Wedge, Leia, and his parents, Kes and Shara. It didn't quite make sense that Leia and his dad were flying in X-wings since neither were pilots, but he was content.

Then his mom was shot down in a fiery explosion. Then his dad. Then L'ulo. Then Wedge, Snap, and Leia. Until finally, he was blasted out of the sky, too. And all he could feel was fear and pain, their screams echoing in his ears.

His arm twitched when he felt something touch his elbow. Calming himself down, he set his other hand on top of the smaller one resting there. Looking from the hand up to the person it belonged to, he offered a small smile and said, "I'm okay. Sorry for waking you."

"You don't have to apologize for a nightmare, Poe," Karena reassured. "Come here." Poe listened to her and laid back down beside her.

Poe didn't know what they were. As time passed, they moved further and further from a purely physical relationship to something. . . more? Perhaps it was his fault. He was the one who liked physical affection and cuddling which already pushed the boundaries of a sexual relationship to something else. Then add on their continued banter, warming up to each other, trusting each other with more aspects of themselves, and worrying about each other when apart on missions.

She was the first person he wanted to see when he landed on the tarmac, the first person he wanted to tell about his missions, the first person he sought when wanting to workout in the training facility or get something to eat in the mess hall.

And there he was in her bed on her ship, and they hadn't even done anything even remotely sexual when they had first laid down. No, she held him in her arms until he had fallen asleep, running a gentle hand through his hair, comforting him without even saying a word.

He could make up all sorts of excuses as to why they hadn't had sex that night. He had exhausted himself working on his X-wing. He was saddened by L'ulo's death and didn't feel up for it. He had drunk just a tad too much at the wake and had a headache. He was thinking up all the possibilities of what the First Order was doing with Agent Terex. He was trying to figure out where Oddy Muva could have gone. But none of those fit completely. Not even all of them together did.

But he just wanted comfort. Her comfort. Her.

He stared up at the ceiling while playing with the ring on the chain around his neck, relaxing in the warm bed as Karena draped an arm over his stomach and laid next to him.

"Why did you join the Resistance?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper in the silent room.

That question was easy for her to answer. "To help those in need. To fight for freedom. For everything my family has fought for. To make them proud. I know I didn't have to, but I felt like I owed it to them to continue the fight. . . Why?"

"General Organa asked me what the most valuable thing I have to offer the Resistance is. I didn't know what to say, so I said the obvious, you know? My piloting skills. I'm a pilot. Just a pilot. That's all I've ever really known. It's my whole identity. But it wasn't what she wanted to hear. And now I'm grounded until I figure it out."

The corner of Karena's mouth twitched up, but he didn't see it, focusing on the ceiling instead. Leia had a way of getting people to think in far deeper ways than they would normally. It's what made her a good leader. And now, she was working her magic on one Poe Dameron.

"Why did you join?" she asked.

"For my mom." His grip tightened around the ring in his hand. "She died when I was eight. Both of my parents were in the Rebel Alliance. Mom was a pilot in Green Squadron with L'ulo. She started teaching me how to fly when I was six. Always told me stories about the Rebellion. When she died, Dad and I didn't really see eye to eye on, well, anything, so I left Yavin when I was sixteen to find my own path. Eventually, I joined the New Republic Defense Fleet. Until then, I hadn't really made an honest living, but joining the Republic Navy, it started to feel right, like I was making her proud. Then I began disagreeing with the leeway the Republic was giving the First Order, so when General Organa offered to let me join the Resistance, I couldn't refuse.

"It was the first thing I'd done that felt like I was honoring my mother's memory."

Karena pushed herself up onto her arm, leaning on her elbow on the pillow beside Poe's head. His gaze drifted to hers as she ran her hand through his curls.

"You're more than just a pilot, Poe," she told him softly. "No one is just a single thing. Your mom was a pilot, but she was more than that. She was a rebel, a fighter, a wife, a mother. Same with L'ulo. He was also a pilot, but, like your mom, he was a rebel and a Resistance fighter. You called him cranky and kind, too. He was your family and a friend."

She grew quiet for a moment, contemplating continuing, and she decided to go for it. "The story you told, about the Jedi who disappeared when he died? He was a Jedi, sure, but that means he was also a General during the Clone War and a survivor of the Purge and a teacher and a father. There's always more than one side to us. Leia wants you to realize a part of you that she already knows."

"So what are you?" Poe asked, rubbing her arm with the back of his fingers. "You're a spy, but what else?"

"A Resistance fighter. A sister to Kelin. A decent pilot. The one who kicks your ass on the training mat." That made him smile a little. "I'm a pretty good mechanic, too. . . And part of who I am today is because I'm the daughter of a deceased rebel spy and a missing pilot."

"What?" Poe asked.

It was too late for Karena to take it back, but she didn't want to anyway. That's why she had said it in the first place. "My parents were in the Rebellion, too, except my mom was a Fulcrum for a short time and my dad was a pilot."

"What squadron?"

Red and Rogue. They were simple words. Her father was in Red Squadron and then subsequently Rogue Group with other famous Rebellion pilots, such as Wedge Antilles and Derek Klivian. And the moment she said either of those words, she knew Poe would start getting skeptical. There were only so many survivors of either squadron and she blatantly said her father was missing. Poe wasn't stupid even if he sometimes came off that way to others.

Her expression shifted, her guard rising again, and Poe grew disappointed. Just when he thought he was melting her walls, they went up again. He knew he didn't need to know everything and didn't want to be pushy. And he didn't want to be disappointed, but he couldn't help it. Simply put, Poe just wanted her to trust him.

Karena noticed the look in his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, I do, it's just. . . It's a secret for a reason. A lot of things would be different if people knew." She played with a few of his curls. "You'll be told one day. I know you will." Especially if they succeeded in finding her father. "But until then, many things will have to remain a secret. I'm sorry."

Poe reached down, grabbed her hand that was still resting on his stomach, and brought it up to his mouth, placing a kiss on her knuckles. "It's okay."

"You don't have to lie to me, Poe. I know it's not." Karena laid down, sliding her arm under the pillow. "Try to get some sleep. You'll want to be well-rested when fixing up your ship and figuring out Leia's riddle tomorrow."

* * *

It wasn't until days later when Poe finally figured out what Leia had meant. In part, it was due to what Karena had told him about being more than a simple pilot and talking about why they had joined the Resistance. _Black One_ was still out of commission and would be for quite some time as some of the parts he required were a little more expensive or harder to come by, so if he was given another mission, he'd have to fly a different X-wing. He could make due.

Poe walked into Leia's office, his clothing still dirty and rumpled from working on his ship.

"So?" Leia said before he could start. "You figure it out, Commander Dameron?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I think so, General Organa." He met her gaze. "This isn't my fight."

"Very good, Poe. I knew you had a brain up there somewhere." She shifted in her seat. "The truth is, I can't let all of this rest on my shoulders forever. I honestly don't know how long we'll have to, well, resist. The Rebellion went on for decades, and, I'm sorry to say, probably sooner than we'd like. . ." She gave him a soft smile. ". . . I'll be luminous."

Leia pushed out her chair and stood, making her way around her desk to stand in front of Poe. "Maybe you are the best pilot in the galaxy," she said, a hint of teasing before getting serious again. "But that's not all I see in you. I think you're one of those rare beings who help other people fight. Who will inspire and give hope when all seems lost, and convince our people to keep going when they don't think they can. No one person can win a war. It's not about you, and it's not about me."

"No, General Organa. It's not about us," Poe agreed. "It's about everyone else."

"Exactly." Leia looked long and hard at the pilot in front of her, the one she saw so much potential in if he allowed it in himself. "Now, I've got a mission for Black Squadron. Consider yourself ungrounded, Commander."

Poe grinned. "Fantastic. How can I help? I was starting to get a little twitchy."


	13. Merriment

33 ABY

Black Squadron found Lor San Tekka, narrowly rescuing him from the clutches of the First Order, and brought him back to the Resistance base on D'Qar, and Poe led him to the Command Center where Leia was waiting before going to the hangar to continue working on his ship.

"Lor San Tekka," Leia said with a smile, walking over to the older man. "At last. I'm so glad we found you."

"My lady Organa, the pleasure is extremely mutual," Lor replied. They clasped their hands together. "Now, please tell me how I can assist you."

"My brother. We need him."

Lor stood tall, his expression growing somber. "I thought perhaps that would be the case. The First Order rises, the galaxy moves toward war. As ever, the Skywalkers find themselves at the heart of it. I will help, of course. I do not know where Luke is at the present, but I have my suspicions. Give me a ship, allow me to investigate a bit, and I will send word where to meet me once I have his location."

Leia felt as though a huge load had been taken from her shoulders. "Of course. Whatever you need. We're grateful for your help. I think we found you just in time. The First Order is barely pretending to hide its true intentions anymore. Everything we've already experienced, every battle, every loss. . . I'm afraid it's only the beginning."

* * *

Aside from the arrival of Lor San Tekka, Snap and Karé had other plans. They had decided to finally get married. With the way things were going and L'ulo having died, they knew it was only a matter of time before it was one of them and wanted to make the most of their time together.

It had at first been planned to be a private affair with only Black Squadron and Kelin and Karena as the de-facto family of Snap in attendance, but as with many things on base, it didn't remain a secret, and many of the Resistance personnel on base pitched in for clearing and decorating one of the lesser-used hangars, scrounging up as much alcohol as they could, and putting together a small buffet rather than taking dinner in the mess hall.

Poe helped Snap straighten up his attire, as nice as he could manage on short notice. It was just his officer uniform with a cape Leia offered to let him borrow as it was customary to wear one on many of the wealthier planets in the galaxy. He also combed his hair and trimmed his beard so he would look nice for the occasion.

"You ready for this?" Poe asked Snap while Snap was adjusting his sleeves in the mirror in Snap's personnel quarters.

"Yeah, I mean, we've put it off long enough, right?" Snap said, glancing at Poe.

Poe noticed Snap's subtle tapping of his foot and said, "You know, it's okay to be nervous, right? It's a big decision, even if you are completely sure."

Snap sighed, glancing down at his boots. "You're right. I just wish my mom and Wedge were here with me, you know? Kelin and Karena are great, they're practically the little siblings I never had, but they're still not my parents."

Poe patted Snap on the back. "I get it, man." He met Snap's gaze in the mirror. "Just think of it this way: right now is the official stuff, getting it out of the way, dealing with the nerves and the lifestyle change, but after everything is said and done and the Resistance is no longer needed or even if we have more time to plan, you and Karé can throw something bigger, invite your families, and renew your vows. And it can be on any planet you want."

"That's not a bad plan." Snap smiled at Poe with a small chuckle. "This one can focus on friends and our future, the next can focus on family."

* * *

Meanwhile, Karena was trying to coax Kelin out of the Command Center. She was already dressed and ready to attend the wedding. Her attire wasn't anything fancy, just a grey long-sleeve tunic dress, black wrap-belt, black leggings, and her usual boots. Though Leia did insist on braiding her hair in a ceremonial Alderaanian fashion down her back.

"Come on, Kel," Karena said, tugging on her brother's arm. "Snap's getting married. You can't miss that."

"A wedding isn't going to change that I'm busy," he replied, brushing her off and focusing on the holoprojections in front of him. "I'm already behind because of Lor's arrival. I'll go when I'm done."

"You can take a thirty-minute break, laser brain. Come on, don't be a kreetle."

Kelin turned and glared at her. "Did you just compare me to a parasite?"

"Yes, I did," Karena said matter-of-factly, no guilt whatsoever. If her brother wanted to hide away during a time where he was supposed to be happy, she would call him every insult under the sun. Gray beeped from her shoulder. "See? Even Gray thinks you should go." Kelin rolled his eyes, so she tried a different approach. "You're making excuses to not go." And she was pretty sure it had to do with him not wanting to talk to or see Lor San Tekka. "Now get off your ass and come to Snap's wedding with me."

"Shouldn't you be asking Poe to be your date, not your brother?"

Karena huffed. "I am this close to dragging you. Don't make me get Leia."

"You would really go there?"

"I would really go there."

The two glared at each other until Kelin caved, groaning and rolling his eyes while turning off the holoprojector. "Fine."

Karena grinned. "Good. Now, go put something nice on. If you're not in Hangar Bay 7 in twenty minutes, I'm going to send Leia after you. And you can be damn sure she'll embarrass you while dragging you out there."

He grumbled to himself and left the Command Center in the direction of the officer quarters.

Karena nodded to herself, straightened out her dress, and looked at Gray. "You ready to party, buddy?" Gray whistled excitedly, perking up which made Karena laugh quietly. "At least someone is. Remember you're in charge of filming for Wedge and Norra." Gray saluted with one of his arms. "Good, let's go."

The human and the droid made their way to the hangar bay where people were finishing setting up the wedding. Leia was directing people around the large room, clearing crates of supplies parts of ships to make room before the wedding was set to start. Decorative lights lined the ships they weren't able to move to a different hangar.

"Need help?" Karena asked Leia as she walked over to her aunt.

"I think I can manage ordering people around," Leia said with a hint of a smile. Her greying hair was done up in two buns, and she wore a blue and gold floor-length gown. Karena briefly wondered if her attire was something she would wear on Alderaan as its queen had it not been blown up by the Empire. "Poe commed to tell me Snap is ready when we are, but Jess said Karé still needs a little more time. Getting a dress here took longer than they had thought."

Considering D'Qar was an uninhabited planet aside from the base, Jess and Karé had to go off-planet to get a wedding dress. At least Naboo wasn't very far, so hyperspace took no time at all. But now they had to get ready.

"How much longer until the space is done being set up?"

Leia looked around. "I think it's just about done. They're putting the final touches, mostly. Where's your brother?"

"Getting changed," Karena told her with a smirk. "Told him I'd have you get him if he didn't come willingly."

"Good. We're the only family Snap has here beside his squadron. We all need to enjoy this time while it lasts. The Force knows it won't happen again any time soon."

* * *

Back in Snap's quarters, he was hyping himself up with Poe's help to try and ignore the nerves that were threatening to creep up. Poe watched the older pilot with mild amusement until a more serious question invaded his mind, which didn't escape Snap's notice in the reflection of the mirror.

"What are you thinking, Poe?" Snap asked, turning around to look at Poe.

Poe's eyebrows had creased together and his lips were pursed. The question from Snap pulled him out of his thoughts. "Sorry, sorry-"

"If you're going to come up with an excuse not to tell me what you started thinking about, don't," Snap said sternly, staring Poe down. "What were you thinking about?"

"I just. . ." Poe shifted his weight. "How did you know Karé was the one?"

Snap's eyes widened and his brows shot up. "Oh. Gotta be honest, I didn't think that'd be your question."

"What, you thought I'd ask if you're sure you're ready to get married or something?"

"I'm sure others are thinking it, though I doubt it's because of my age and instead something ridiculous about a ball and chain. Why even get married if you think about your spouse like that? It makes no sense." Snap took a moment, analyzing Poe which kind of weirded out the commander. "You fell for her, didn't you? Karena?"

Poe didn't exactly have a good answer to that. "Maybe? I don't know. It all seems. . . complicated."

"I've found a good way to get her to open up is to be honest with her. The more she knows about you, the more you'll know about her. It's a self-preservation thing even if it isn't equal reciprocation."

Poe quietly huffed with a small, earnest smile as he looked away. "Yeah, I've noticed."

"But to answer your question," Snap said, Poe picking up his gaze, "it wasn't any one thing that made me realize I want to spend the rest of my life with Karé. It was a culmination of things. Our shared love of flying, wanting to protect others, bantering after a long day, just everything. It was all the little things that I didn't want to live without. But I realized it on our first mission as Black Squadron. We were low on fuel. We were struggling with Terex's forces. We could die at any moment, and I knew I needed to be honest with myself and her. Life's too short to put it off." Snap clapped Poe on the shoulder. "Tell Karena, alright? Sometimes she just needs a little push to get the ball rolling. And her reply might surprise you."

"Maybe you should be a life coach instead of a pilot," Poe joked.

Snap laughed a shook his head. "Not on your life. Are they ready yet? I feel like I'm going to implode if I don't leave this room soon."

"I'll comm the general."

With the okay from Leia, Snap and Poe left the room and started towards the hangar they were expected in. On the way, they ran into Kelin who was buttoning up his officer uniform.

Kelin grinned at Snap. "Nice cape," he greeted as he finished buttoning. He glanced at Poe but didn't say anything to him while walking on Snap's other side.

"Ah, I see you've left the safety of your computer screen," Snap teased with a broad grin. "What did Karena threaten you with?"

"Getting Leia involved."

"Not surprised. The general scares everyone."

"How are you feeling?" Kelin asked. "It's your big day. Ready to tie the knot? Settle down? Have mini Temmin and Karé's running around?"

That got Snap to laugh. "Switch off. We haven't even entertained the idea of kids."

"Hardly the time, right?" Poe said. "War can kick off at any moment."

"Exactly," Snap agreed. "And if we do decide to have kids, I don't want to be busy fighting the First Order and not even have a house together. And who would watch the kid if we're both off fighting? Neither of us would be okay sitting it out. And we haven't even talked about whether we want any anyway."

The three walked into Hangar Bay 7 together. The interior of the usually bland hangar was covered in new lighting rather than being lit by the harsh overhead lighting, as well as some vases of flowers, some vine arrangements on overhangs, and draped fabric over some areas to spice up the place or cover less seemly spots like electrical panels. It was obviously thrown together last minute, but Snap wouldn't have it any other way. BB-8 was the first to see the three men arrive and immediately rolled over with excited beeps.

Poe grinned at his droid and knelt down. "Hey, buddy, how did set up go?" he asked. BB whistled and beeped wildly, rolling in place. "You helped them with the lighting? That's great, buddy. The place looks amazing." The droid beeped a 'thank you' and spun around, then he said something else. "And the general put you in charge of the music? Wow, that's nice of her."

"Thanks, Beebee," Snap said. "We're counting on you." BB-8 whizzed and whistled again.

"Captain Wexley!" a voice called. Snap, Kelin, and Poe looked to see who had yelled for the groom and spotted Leia motioning them over in between two Y-wings further into the hangar. The bombers were the last two ships in the hangar due to the lack of room in other hangars to take them, so they had been set up as the staging area with some decorations draped over them.

Poe stood again and the three of them walked over to Leia who had Karena next to her. Poe's gaze lingered longer on Karena than it should have with their current company, thinking about what Snap had told him.

"You ready, Snap?" Karena asked, not oblivious to Poe's stare but not letting it visibly affect her. "No going back. You sure you want to tie yourself down for the rest of your potentially short life?"

"I know you're teasing," Snap said with a grin, "but do you have to make it sound so dire?"

Karena shrugged. "Leia didn't give me a job, so I'm here to be your pervasive thoughts even though I wouldn't let you get cold feet anyway."

"Alright, go on," Leia said with a stern look, pushing Karena away from the group. "You and Dameron gather everyone around so we can get started."

"Will do, General," Poe said, gently grabbing Karena's elbow and pulling her away before she retorted. Once out of hearing range, he said, "You just love being difficult, don't you?"

"Yes. But only for the people I care about, so count yourself lucky." She flashed him a quick grin, a grin he loved seeing.

* * *

The members of the Resistance who had entered the hangar for the wedding were rounded up by Karena and Poe and stood in haphazard rows on either side of an imaginary aisle. Leia stood directly between the two Y-wings and Snap stood to her right. Gray settled on top of the edge of one of the ships so he could film the ceremony, and BB-8 was remotely hooked into the sound system for the individual hangar, so when he got the word, he would start the ballad for Karé to walk down the aisle to.

Karena, Poe, and BB-8 stood on Snap's side of the aisle while Suralinda Javos, Black Squadron's most recently recruited pilot and a female Squamatan, stood with Kelin and Kaydel on the other side, with the rest of the attendants falling into line behind those in the first row. Other officers, technicians, and pilots had decided to be there as well. Jess came scurrying over to Suralinda's side and gave BB-8 a thumb's up, so the droid remotely activated the music, and Gray began recording.

Karé walked into the hangar wearing a white dress that fell to her knees and had a long translucent train attached flowing behind her as she walked out. What remained of her already short hair had been pulled back into a braided crown, and in her hands she carried a bouquet of white flowers picked a few hours prior for the ceremony.

Snap lit up from his spot by Leia. In all the time he had known Karé, he'd never seen her wear a dress, preferring her flight suit or comfortable civilian clothes she could fight in. But dressed in white with a smile on her face and the last of the sunlight streaming in from the outside to cast her bronze skin in a warm glow, he was falling in love with her all over again.

Those in attendance watched the bride walk down the aisle, though Jess, Suralinda, Snap, and Poe could all tell she was trying not to trip in the white, wedged boots she was wearing as she didn't often get the chance to wear heels in their line of work, but Snap's smile did give her a sense of ease as she walked.

When Karé reached the front, both she and Snap turned to face Leia who gave them both a warm smile. The general had been honored to be the one to officiate their wedding, especially since she had expected them to ask Poe as their commanding officer and close friend who could legally officiate the wedding as well. And BB-8 lowered the music to a quiet ambiance before Leia even needed to give him the signal.

"I'd like to begin by welcoming everyone for joining us on this occasion," Leia started with her hands folded in front of her. "It wasn't too long ago where we met under incredibly different circumstances when we had lost one of our own, L'ulo L'ampar, a brilliant pilot and a close friend to our bride and groom. . . I'd like to take a page from Commander Dameron's book and tell you all a story.

"The last wedding I attended, aside from my own, was my brother Luke's. It was on a jungle planet much like this one, a small affair with close friends and family, but it was so full of life and love. We were still fighting the Empire, you see, it was a few months after Endor, and we had to take what little time we could to enjoy life the way it was meant to be enjoyed. With each other. Much to everyone's surprise, this hopeful, orphaned farmboy who had become one of the youngest officers in the Rebel Alliance fell in love with a closed-off bounty hunter-turned rebel spy. They couldn't have been more different."

Poe's eyebrows creased while listening to the general. He couldn't help but think the story sounded familiar. Or something about it at least. He brushed it aside when Leia continued talking.

Leia smiled to herself as she recalled the day many years ago. "Maybe we should've been tracking Imperial movements or scouting or recruiting, but even in war, you have to take the time to know what is truly important. Friends, family, love. One good thing to come from the conflict with the Empire was its ability to bring people together, people who likely wouldn't have met otherwise."

Leia gestured to Snap and Karé. "Here we have two pilots from different backgrounds, different planets, with different personalities, different experiences, different. . . everything. And they found love in each other. They found life in each other. A sense of purpose, of being, motivation, a reason to fight. That's why we're all here. We're fighting for more weddings, more reasons to get together and celebrate, more excuses to drink and laugh.

"I'm honored to be up here today to see another outcome of what we're fighting for, and it's the love between Captain Temmin Wexley and Captain Karé Kun, two people who couldn't be more different, fighting for the same purpose, and falling in love in the process." She looked at the bride and groom. "I won't pretend I know everything about either of you, but I have noticed a few things."

Leia turned to Karé and said, "Karé, we met when I recruited you, Captain Arana, and Commander Dameron from the New Republic Navy. You were a lieutenant at the time, but I saw potential in you and promoted you to the rank of captain, and not once have you made me regret that decision. You are kind-hearted and strong-willed, both traits seemingly rare in these trying times. You provide much-needed support for your fellow pilots, and I hope you continue on your path and fight for what you believe in."

She then focused on Snap. "Snap, we didn't get the chance to officially meet until after you had begun training under Wedge, a good friend of my brother and his wife. I'm sure they could all tell more stories about you than I can, but I remember you as a stubborn boy who wanted nothing more than to shape the galaxy and prove your worth. And now, standing before me today, while you're just as stubborn. . ." Snap grinned. ". . . I see a man who has proved his worth time and time again, who is loyal without a fault, cares deeply for his friends and family, and has made us all proud to have known you and fought beside you.

"I wish you both the very best in life, full of laughter and love."

"Thank you, General," Karé said, a few tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Snap was worse off, a few tears having already fallen despite him trying his hardest not to break down in front of everyone, and he only managed a small nod and smile.

"You two ready for your vows?" Leia asked.

"Not really," Snap managed. "Not after that." Leia, Karé, and the people in attendance all laughed to varying degrees. Snap quickly wiped a tear away. "I'll go first." He and Karé faced each other. Snap held one of her hands in his own and looked into her dark eyes. "Neither of us had much time to write lengthy, paragraph-long vows, and neither of us are as brilliant as our general when it comes to giving speeches off the top of our heads, so I hope you bear with me."

Karé laughed, a loving smile reaching her eyes. "I'm glad we're on the same page there."

"I thought I had known what I wanted to say leading up to this," Snap began, holding her hand tight, "but the moment you stepped out, I was speechless, and while I've completely forgotten what I had planned, I know what I want to say now. Earlier, before we got the go-ahead to come out here, Poe asked me how I knew you were the one for me. Never thought I'd hear him ask me that. . ." Snap glanced at Poe in the front row who painfully avoided eye contact with everyone by looking up at the ceiling. Karena looked at the commander curiously, and Karé and Snap laughed together before Snap continued. ". . . but I told him I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you when I realized life was too short to not be honest with myself and my feelings.

"When I joined the Resistance, I wasn't expecting to fall in love, and now that I have, I can't imagine standing up here with anyone else. You are just as radiant in a pristine dress as you are in your flight suit covered in engine oil and grease stains, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life flying by your side."

"Why did you have to go first?" Karé asked, biting her lip to try and keep herself from crying. A sharp laugh left her, and she took in a deep breath. "Alright, when we first met, I had just joined the Resistance. You were one of the first people I had met on base, and I remember thinking, _Kriff, this guy is one cocky pilot. What is this old-timer doing here?_ " There were a few snorts of laughter in the crowd, especially from Karena, Kelin, and Black Squadron. "And then I got to know you during training exercises and shared missions, and I'm still thinking the same thing." A blush crept out from under Snap's collar as the crowd laughed a little more that time. "But now when we go on a mission, I wonder whether we'll both make it back or not, and it makes me scared. I didn't use to be so scared of dying on a mission, but the thought of losing you or you losing me, it's unbearable, and yet I feel more whole with that terror than I had without it. There's no place I'd rather be than by your side, grounded or in the sky."

"I love you," Snap whispered, his lip quivering.

"I love you, too," Karé returned in the same vulnerable state.

When neither pilot had more to say, Leia cut in with, "Temmin, do you take Karé to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her until the end of your days?"

Snap beamed. "I do."

"And Karé, do you take Temmin to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him until the end of your days?"

Karé nodded. "I do."

"Then it is my honor to pronounce you husband and wife," Leia announced. "You may seal your love with a kiss."

As Snap and Karé took steps towards each other and leaned in, the assembled crowd began to clap and cheer for the newlywed couple, and the two kissed. It was short and sweet, and when they pulled away, they turned to the crowd and smiled at their friends.

Leia rested her hands on Snap and Karé's joined hands and said, "May you love and trust each other with all of your hearts, and may the Force be with you both, for all of your days." Leia looked to the round droid. "BB-8, I suppose it's now time for the celebration to begin." The small droid loudly beeped in agreement and remotely turned on upbeat music to fill the hangar. "Drink, eat, dance, and celebrate. You've all earned it."

"Would it be unprofessional to ask for a hug, General?" Snap asked before Leia could walk away.

"I'll allow it, Captain." With Leia's blessing, Snap and Karé collected the smaller woman into a shared hug.

Poe leaned over to Karena and quietly said, "Never thought I'd see the general allow a hug in front of so many people."

Karena chuckled. "That's fair."

"Save a dance for me, sweetheart?" Poe didn't give Karena the chance to answer as he winked at her and walked away, making his way up to Snap and Karé along with Jess, Suralinda, and BB-8.

Black Squadron began hugging and talking amongst themselves, congratulating the couple, and Karena looked on fondly while others around her began celebrating with food and drink. Gray flew over to his owner and rested on her shoulder.

Karena patted the droid. "You get everything?" Gray beeped in affirmation. "Good. Remind me to send it to Wedge and Norra before we go to bed." Gray beeped and saluted with his arm.

Kelin sidled up to his sister's side. "No tears?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Thought I might for a moment, especially when. . ." _When Aunt Leia started talking about Mom and Dad's wedding_ , but she didn't need to say it out loud for Kelin to know. "And almost when the old lug started to, but no. Maybe when not so many people are around."

"I understand," Kelin said, nodding. "The emotions though. I can feel everything."

Karena grimaced, knowing only a hint of what her twin was feeling through the Force. While she theoretically had the same potential in the Force as Kelin did just as he had the same potential for combat, it came easier to him, and thus he had honed it more than she had, making him more sensitive to various aspects of it. She'd stick to her lightsabers, thank you.

"Maybe you shouldn't have specialized in that then."

"Oh, switch off." Kelin nudged her arm. "We should probably congratulate him. Them."

After a quiet snort in amusement at him correcting himself, Karena followed Kelin over to the group of pilots in the middle of Jess teasing the two newlyweds about their age gap.

"If you have kids one day, they're gonna call Snap 'Grandpa' and you 'Mom'."

"I don't see you with any dating prospects, Jess," Snap retorted, though he did have an amused grin. He never took the age jokes to heart considering he took the piss out of his squadmates, too.

Jess wasn't fazed. "That's because Vornskr doesn't seem into women."

"Tried it," Karena cut in blandly, having heard Jess's words plain as day while walking around the group and up behind Poe to stand between him and Snap, and Kelin ended up on Snap's other side between him and Karé. "Wasn't my thing."

Jess' eyes bugged out of her head. She hadn't meant to be heard by the spy at all. "Oh, stars," she muttered. Jess started making a few filler noises as she tried to figure out what to say to try and rectify her words.

Karena simply turned to Snap as Jess fumbled. "Congratulations, Snap." She held out her arms and he gladly accepted the hug. "I'll make sure Wedge and Norra get the recording."

"Thanks," Snap said, holding her close. She patted Snap on the back then pulled away. Snap looked at the droid on her shoulder. "And thank you for doing the hard work, Gray." Gray hopped up with a happy whistle.

"My turn, come here," Kelin said and Snap pulled the other Skywalker into a hug while laughing.

"You should leave Command more often to mingle," Snap teased, hugging Kelin tightly. "Maybe it'll be you getting married next." Kelin shook his head with a grin while pulling out of the hug.

"He's already married to his computer screen, didn't you hear?" Karena asked. "They had a lovely ceremony at sunset with his-"

"You know, I've just about had it with your jests," Kelin interrupted and bopped his sister on the nose, and she slapped his hand away as her nose twitched.

"If you wanna be coddled, go to Kaydel; otherwise, you're stuck with me."

"Unfortunately. If only I could return you to the factory you were made in."

"You know what, Kel? When you're sleeping, I'll go to your station in the Command Center and rewire it to leave a special present just for you, so when you turn it on in the morning, it'll be flashing a very unfortunate picture and message of-"

"Okay!" Poe cut in, setting a hand on Karena's shoulder. "Do I need to get the general?"

"Aww, it was just getting good," Suralinda quietly whined, her shoulders slumping as she pouted. Karé tossed her an amused look while quietly laughing at the exchange.

Kelin crossed his arms over his chest. "You can only threaten to involve Leia so often before it begins to lose steam."

"That's why it still works after thirty years?" Snap asked, raising an eyebrow at Kelin.

Kelin shot him a glare. "I'm so glad I didn't get you a present."

Karena raised her hand. "I didn't either. Just putting that out there."

"You're both disowned," Snap replied. While his tone of voice had a sense of finality in it, the uptick of his mouth contradicted it.

"Didn't want to be a Wexley anyway," Karena countered easily. She made eye contact with Karé. "Hope you're not changing your name because. . ." She trailed off, exaggerating a visible cringe that made Karé laugh. Karena then looked up at Poe. "Would you like a drink?"

Poe grinned at her. "With you? Always." She allowed a hint of a smile for him before nodding and walking off, leaving the group behind to get those drinks.

Kelin shook his head and turned to Snap again. "I've gotta go check on the diagnostic I started earlier. But congratulations again, really."

Snap patted Kelin on the shoulder. "Thanks. Go have fun avoiding the party."

"Will do." Kelin waved as he left, heading in the direction of the Command Center.

"My first conversation with Vornskr and she heard me say _that_ ," Jess said now that the two colonels were gone. A haunted look shown in her eyes.

"Don't beat yourself up, Jess," Poe said. "She probably found it funny. Doubt she took any offense."

Jess folded her arms with a frown. "That doesn't really make me feel better, but thanks anyway."

"So," Suralinda cut in with a confused expression, "are we now friends with them? That came out of nowhere to me. I was under the impression Colonel Aput kept to those working in the Command Center, and Vornskr only talked to Aput, Poe, and General Organa."

"Me too," Karé said, looking just as confused though she was entertained with the whole conversation. "What was that?"

"I'm friends with them," Snap answered simply.

"Yeah, we got that," Jess said with a scoff. "Since when?"

Snap awkwardly shrugged. "Since they were born?" Not quite but almost and easier to say than the real explanation, and he didn't know what else to say on that front without being completely obvious about who the twins really were. Barely anyone even knew they were twins. And Poe still only knew them as siblings, not straight-up twins.

Poe gave him a thumbs up and a grin. "You're doing great. I'm gonna hop off and get that drink from her." Snap shot him an unamused glare.

"You mean flirt with her until she throws you onto a mat?" Suralinda said. "Seriously, you must have brain damage from how often she's knocked you down."

"Does that tactic actually work for you?" Karé asked. "Letting her hand your ass to you?" Instead of answering, Poe turned and hurried away, waving for BB-8 to follow as he went toward the tables set up with food and drinks. Karé shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I can't tell if that was a 'yes' or he's embarrassed."

Suralinda made a quiet humming noise as she nodded. "I'm going to laugh if it's both."

At the furthest table stood Karena with two glasses of whiskey, and she was sipping on one of them. When Poe walked up, she handed him the other glass.

"So, Jess sounds fun," Karena said.

Poe laughed and took a sip of the whiskey. "Not the first time she's mentioned being attracted to you, and it won't be the last. Although, she'll probably be more careful of her surroundings next time."

Karena smiled and looked down at the droid at his side. "You enjoying the wedding, Bee?" BB-8 whistled and rolled in place, nodding with his domed head. "That's good."

Poe gestured to the opening of the hangar bay with his head. "Care to go for a walk?"

"I'd like that," she said with a nod.

Before moving, Poe turned to BB-8. "Why don't you go party, buddy? Have some fun."

"You too, Gray," Karena told her own droid. "I'm sure Wedge and Norra might like some recordings of the party and Snap and Karé dancing." Gray beeped and flew off her shoulder, happy to continue recording, and BB-8 followed the seeker droid back to the party and dancing Resistance troops.

Together, Karena and Poe walked out of the hangar and onto the open tarmac. The night sky was perfectly clear, so they could see the stars twinkling brightly above them.

Once a good distance away from prying ears, Poe asked, "So, Snap once told me you learned to fly from Wedge Antilles. Was he telling the truth or just pulling shit out of his ass?"

Karena spared him a glance before looking around again. "I learned to fly from my parents, but Wedge taught me a few tricks. I'll take an old T-65B over your T-70 or the new T-85 any day."

"Oh, really?"

"I said what I said."

Poe laughed and shook his head. "Alright, do you really call him 'Uncle Wedge?'"

Karena stopped walking, turning to Poe who matched her movement. "What else has Snap told you?"

He shrugged. "That just about covers it, actually."

Karena held her glass in line with her jaw as she folded her arms in front of her. She was almost tempted not to answer just to see the cute frustration, but she answered honestly. "Wedge is my godfather, so yes, I grew up calling him my uncle, and it's how I know Snap. Wedge was close with my parents."

"You miss them," he pointed out softly.

"Of course, I do. But if I ever see my father again, I don't think it'll be a happy reunion." Karena gazed at the only hangar with light pouring from it. "They would have loved to see Snap get married and would've gladly flown across the galaxy to attend, assuming they had enough time to get there before it started and ended, of course." She had a bittersweet smile. "It would be nice to see Wedge and Norra again. Though I'm not sure how Wedge would take to you." She gave him a half-smile.

Poe huffed with a grin. "I'll have you know, Wedge loves me. I was his best student."

Her brows pinched together. "What?"

"Yeah, he trained me when I joined the Defense Fleet."

"Right." She had totally forgotten about that. Snap had mentioned it before but she had dismissed it shortly after. "Why does that not surprise me?" They both grew up on Yavin IV, both sets of parents had been in the Rebellion, both had trained under Wedge. The Force just loved to be funny.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She smiled at him. A genuine, sincere smile. "Nothing, Poe. Nothing." She finished off what was left of her drink. "I'm going to turn in for the night. Enjoy the party, okay?" He nodded, and she stepped closer to him and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth, caressed his cheek, and walked back to the hangar to return her glass before going to her ship with Gray.

Poe had watched her with each step, a heavy feeling in his heart. Yeah, Snap was right. There was no denying it anymore. He fell for her. Of course, he just had to break their one rule.

Little did he know that she had, too, realizing it far before he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comic used is Star Wars: Poe Dameron #25. Apparently, the wedding is depicted in a junior novel but no way in hell am I buying a book I don't want to read just for this story, and the comic barely goes into any detail about the wedding as it's only depicted on one page, so basically I made my own thing for it aside from a dash of dialogue and outfit choices. Though the Lor San Tekka part is accurate for it.


	14. Back in the Fight

33 ABY

The high of merriment slowly wore off after a few weeks despite everyone's desire to keep the party going. But they had jobs to do, a goal to work toward. Lor San Tekka had left the base to find what Leia had requested and Black Squadron had other missions to do.

And the most recent was of utmost importance.

An encrypted message was transmitted to the Resistance Base along with a set of coordinates and a personal code only Leia recognized. Others in the Command Center didn't hide their confusion toward the code sent with the message, but when Leia didn't offer an explanation of who the code belonged to aside from "an old friend", they didn't question it further.

The message read:

_In need of assistance. Lothal threatened by First Order. Need evac and escort to deliver intel._

Leia took no time at all to send out orders for Black Squadron to ready their ships and prepare for takeoff, along with someone who would know immediately where to meet the group on Lothal, how to get into contact with them when in the atmosphere, and could transport a small group of people while staying quick and maneuverable.

Karena readied her own ship, flipping switches and pressing buttons, feeling the old scout ship come alive around her.

"Be careful, alright?" Kelin said through the channel to her ship.

"Try to avoid all out war," Leia cut in. "But if TIEs need to be shot down, I'd prefer you to take them out instead of Black Squadron. For all intents and purposes, your ship is a civilian ship, not one of ours."

"Acknowledged," Karena said, taking a seat in the pilot chair. "Can I get going now? I'm pretty sure Black Squadron is about to take off with or without me, and I don't need you two yapping in my ear."

She heard Leia sigh through the link. "May the Force be with you."

"You too." Karena switched off the link and lifted the ship into the air mere moments after Poe's temporary X-wing rose and flew after him, followed closely behind by the rest of his pilots.

She readied the hyperspace coordinates in her navi-computer before Poe even began to tell his squadron to do so.

"Glad to have you with us, Vornskr," Poe said through the channel. Karena could hear his grin. "Now you get to see the galaxy's best pilots in action."

"Well, according to Leia, I'm the only one allowed to fight as this isn't a Resistance or New Republic ship," Karena replied, hovering a hand over the lever to enter hyperspace when she gets the word. "So, I doubt you'll be seeing much action."

"Try not to sound too happy about that."

"No promises."

Poe shook his head, still grinning. "Alright, everyone ready to jump?"

"On your word, Black Leader," Suralinda reported.

"Whenever you and Vornskr are done comparing sizes," Snap added.

Sometimes Poe wanted to strangle his own squadron. "Prepare to enter hyperspace in three, two, one."

One by one, the X-wings and JM-5K watched the stars blend and meld together as they jumped to lightspeed.

* * *

Hours later, Black Squadron and Karena dropped out of hyperspace above Lothal. Any other time, they would have admired the planet and its blues and yellows against the vast darkness of space, but something else drew their attention instead. What Karena had said about them not seeing much action was dead wrong. Above the planet was a First Order blockade.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jess asked the moment they all laid their eyes on it, stalling in space to keep out of distance of the First Order ships.

"I think so," Poe begrudgingly answered. "All Wings report in."

"Black Two, standing by," Snap said.

"Black Three, standing by," Jess said.

"Black Four, standing by," Suralinda said.

"Black Five, standing by," Karé finished.

The line went dead for a few seconds, until Poe's voice crackled, "Vornskr, you there?"

Karena rolled her eyes despite Black Squadron not being able to see her as she flew behind them. "Since when am I one of your Wings, Dameron? _Desert Dragon_ , standing by."

"Could've done without the snark, but okay," Poe muttered mostly to himself, yet everyone heard it perfectly. Jess, in particular, kept herself from laughing. "What are we looking at here?"

"Two _Maxima-A_ class heavy cruisers, four _Dissident_ -class light cruisers, two _Lancer_ -class frigates, and two _Resurgent_ -class Star Destroyers," Karena listed, staring at the grouping of ships in front of the large, grassy planet. "One Destroyer alone has another light cruiser and at least fifty TIEs per starfighter-wing plus fifteen-hundred turbo lasers on its surface."

"You just know that off the top of your head?" Jess said skeptically, glancing through her window to look at Karé to her left who shared the same confused expression. As if her attraction to the mysterious spy couldn't get any worse.

"You get used to it," Poe said.

Karena frowned as she listened to them, leaning back in her seat. She'd gotten so used to Kelin, Poe, Snap, and Leia being the only ones to hear her spout off about ships that she'd forgotten it wasn't normal.

"So, any ideas on how to get through the blockade, Poe?" Karé asked.

 _Not really_ , he wanted to say. "We should stay away from the Destroyers as best we can. Between the light cruisers on the right would be our best shot. It'd be easier to dodge their turbolasers than the Destroyers', especially when they launch the TIEs."

"If they've set up a blockade, I'm willing to bet they're completely forgoing the treaty," Snap pointed out.

"That also means they'll fry anyone who gets too close to keep them from telling the New Republic," Suralinda added. "If we get any closer, they'll launch the TIEs immediately. Right now they're probably waiting to see what we do, if we're even on their scanners yet."

"I can get you an opening," Karena said, flipping a few switches. "Gray, prime the ion cannon and torpedo launcher."

"Wait, what are you planning?" Poe asked, an edge in his voice. At first, he had been pleased to find out she was going on a mission with him and his squadron as the desire to show off for her had set in. But now, with the First Order looming ahead, he didn't like it one bit, and a sense of worry began to eat at him.

As Gray readied the advanced weapons systems, Karena readied the cloaking device. It was a scout ship first and foremost after all, aside from all the modifications put in by the old bounty hunter Dengar as well as Karena's mother. "I've got a cloaking device. I can get close and disable the light cruisers before they even spot me. You can follow once I've cleared a path."

"You're joking, right?" Karé said. "That's a suicide run alone."

Karena let out a sharp laugh through the comm channel as she broke off from the group and turned on the cloaking device, the ship disappearing before their eyes and off their sensors. "You've never seen me fly. Count to eighty then follow me. Watch and learn." She closed the channel so they wouldn't hear her next order. "Gray, divert all shield power to the engine and weapons." Having heard the order before, the small droid had no objection and followed the order.

"Your thoughts, Snap?" Poe asked, not wanting to wait at all.

"She knows her ship and its limits, Poe. Trust her on this." While Snap himself didn't like it much, he had seen firsthand how maneuverable the _Desert Dragon_ was and its firepower. With a Force-user at its helm, the ship was deadly.

Poe sighed and forced himself to release his grip. "Alright. All Wings, get ready to punch it." Then he started counting down in his head.

Once the weapons and engine were at maximum power, Karena shot the ship forward at full speed, completely undetectable to the X-wings she was leaving behind. Karena briefly hoped the First Order wasn't keeping an eye on magnetic signatures; otherwise, she'd have to maneuvere around more blasts than she had planned for.

"Shoot as often as you can with the ion cannon, okay, Gray? I'll follow with the proton torpedoes, and the astromech head will fire the laser cannon." She just hoped the ship could take using all three weapons array's at the same time, though it should without any of the shields in use.

Gray beeped excitedly from his spot at the targeting array.

The First Order never saw them coming.

Poe reached fifty when Black Squadron started seeing damage dealt on two of the light cruisers to the right of the Star Destroyer.

It was like a switch had been flicked. The light cruisers began firing at nothing in particular, only where they guessed Karena's ship was while trying to avoid hitting each other.

The ion cannon could only do so much disabling as it was only a mini one meant for smaller ships, but paired with the torpedo launcher and laser cannon, the little scout ship disabled and damaged a straight path through the blockade, and once the allotted time was up, Poe ordered his wings forward and almost immediately, TIEs were released.

"Don't focus on destroying the TIEs," Poe ordered. "Worry about getting planetside."

"On it, Black Leader," Jess replied as she shot down a TIE that was growing too close.

"Understood," Suralinda added.

Karena narrowly dodged blaster fire before firing at the turret, laying waste to the light cruisers. Both light cruisers on either side of the path she had set were completely destroyed by the time the surrounding ships were able to begin firing on the closing in X-wings. With the distinct path cleared, Karena fell back, turning around to wreck some TIEs.

Poe led his squadron through the blockade with Karena providing support as best she could.

Once through the main blockade, TIEs continued to follow them down to the planet.

"All Wings, break off," Poe ordered. "Leave no TIEs behind."

"Copy that," Jess said.

"Our pleasure, Poe," Karé added. "Careful when banking, Javos. Your left wing is smoking."

"Damnit!"

Karena shut down the cloaking device and followed Suralinda to watch her flank, all while taking a pleasure in destroying each TIE fighter that got in her sights.

"Kriff! I'm hit!" Snap exclaimed, swerving hard to the right to keep from getting hit again.

"Hang in there, Snap," Poe said as he took out the TIE following Snap. "Two more TIEs then we can land and make repairs." When he destroyed the last TIE, he let out a sigh of relief. "Looks like the last of 'em. Let's find a place to set down."

"There's a gorge northwest of here," Karena said, looking at her scanners. "Should provide decent cover, and their scanners won't be able to spot us."

"Perfect. Lead the way, Vornskr."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the ships were settled in a gorge with high walls on either side of them.

The moment Snap hopped out of his cockpit, he was cursing up a storm while putting the fire out on one of his engines. Karé hurried over and helped him, and Karena grabbed her tools and joined them after telling Gray to send out a short-wave transmission to the resistance group they were on Lothal for.

Suralinda's ship was in better condition, but she got to work on it anyway to be prepared for another fight. The other ships were in perfect working order.

"Alright, while you get to work, Jess and I will take a quick look around," Poe told the group and holding up his quadnoculars. "Make sure no First Order ships are nearby."

"Or fauna," Karena added from where she sat on the wing. "Beware the sabercat."

"Sabercat?" Jess repeated, lifting an eyebrow.

Karena nodded and shrugged. "And bloodflies, but mostly the sabercats. Large, claws, a horn, vicious. There's also supposedly loth-wolves, but take that with a grain of salt. The loth-cats are fine as long as you don't piss them off."

Jess turned to Poe beside her who also didn't look pleased at the sound of the local fauna. "You sure I can't stay with them?"

"If anything, that just makes me certain no one should go off alone," Poe told her.

"Damn," Jess muttered with a shake of her head. Poe couldn't help but laugh.

"BB-8 can stay here and help you out." Poe motioned for his droid to join Karé, then he walked off with Jess, climbing up a trail to the top of the gorge to get a good look at their surroundings. The two brushed themselves off when the finally reached the top.

As Poe used the quadnocs to scan the horizon and the sky, Jess talked. "Did the general tell you who we're picking up?" she asked, fingers drumming on the hilt of her blaster settled on her thigh. She didn't want to openly admit it, but she was a little anxious about the potential wildlife problem even if she realistically knew they'd be fine. Wildlife didn't typically like being near aircraft due to the noise.

"No," he answered truthfully, "but she did say Vornskr and Snap would know who we're helping and how to contact them the moment they learned about us coming to Lothal."

Jess made a quiet humming noise. "That explains Snap's reaction and how Vornskr knows so much about Lothal. I wonder how they know them."

Poe lowered the quadnocs and shrugged as he turned to look in the other direction. "Beats me. Family friends maybe? Snap's step-father Wedge was part of the Rebellion, so maybe that's how he knows the resistance group here if they're old rebels." He also recalled how Karena had told him Wedge was her godfather, so that only increased his suspicion toward being on Lothal for former rebels.

"Hm, maybe." Jess nibbled on her bottom lip, still tapping the blaster at her side.

"Looks like the First Order is out looking for us," Poe said, spotting ships in the distance. A group of TIEs. "Doesn't look like they're coming our way, but it's only a matter of time."

"Speaking of a matter of time, you gonna ask Vornskr out yet?"

Poe almost dropped the quadnocs as he abruptly turned to Jess with his eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

She gave him a blank look. "The whole squadron knows. You are completely obvious. Maker, every time she's around, it's like your mind goes blank."

"At least I haven't mortally embarrassed myself in front of her." He started walking back to the trail leading down the cliffside.

"Hey!"

Poe simply laughed as she ran up beside him so she wasn't left behind.

* * *

"There are too many hiding places on Lothal to count," Snap was saying when Poe and Jess eventually made it back to the group while he worked on his X-wing. "It's how the Lothal resistance group was able to be successful during the time of the Empire. Stone circles, tunnels running beneath the surface, farmsteads, abandoned watch towers, gorges, canyons, mountains, marshes, abandoned settlements. . . The list goes on."

"How do you know so much about Lothal?" Suralinda asked from her ship.

Snap looked up at her incredulously. "How don't I know about Lothal?" He looked around and saw that everyone except Karena was confused. "Oh, come on. Phoenix Squadron? The _Ghost_ crew? They started off as rebels on Lothal!"

"Wait, Captain Syndulla was from Ryloth," Jess pointed out as she joined Suralinda to help finish the repairs. "She was the daughter of one of the Rebellion fighters there."

"None of the Spectres except Ezra Bridger was from Lothal, and he was the last to join after they had already began rebelling," Snap said as he tightened a bolt. "Doesn't mean they couldn't have chosen Lothal to disrupt the Empire."

"Who are we meeting with then?" Karé asked, completing a welding job on Snap's ship then looking up at Poe who had joined them. "You never told us who the general said we're getting."

"She didn't tell me," Poe answered. "Said Snap and Vornskr would know."

"Probably to keep any of you from swooning," Karena said non-committedly and not looking up from her rewiring job. When no one said anything, she looked up to see them all looking at her, and she met Snap's gaze who shrugged. "Alright, we're already here anyway. We're getting former Spectres Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren."

"Really?" Jess blurted excitedly, almost dropped her screwdriver. "Wicked!"

"I'm afraid it will have to be a quick pick-up though," Poe said. "The First Order is out looking for us. They weren't coming this way, but I'd rather not chance it."

"I think we're about done here," Snap told him. "At least with makeshift repairs. She'll need more TLC once we're back on base, but she's good to fly for now. Won't be losing any fuel or catch fire."

"They're a few clicks north of here," Karena said, "but if we don't want the First Order to interrupt, someone's going to have to distract them. Gray said they have wounded and children amongst them, so I can't guarantee a quick pick-up."

Karé started cleaning up her area, putting away tools. "We can split up. Vornskr and Poe can go pick up the group while the rest of us draw the attention of the First Order, then the moment we get the 'all clear' we can high-tail it off this planet."

"I don't know how I feel about Snap's ship getting all the attention," Poe said, leaning against the ship with a pained expression. "One wrong hit and it'll go down."

"I don't like it either," Karé agreed. "But you're the best single flyer we have. The rest of us are better in formation. If the First Order does find you, you'll have a better chance of getting out of it than the rest of us solo."

"Look, if it makes you feel better, we can switch ships," Snap offered as he hopped down from the wing. "Okay?"

Poe sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'm not attached to that one anyway."

Snap chuckled and playfully punched Poe's shoulder. "Finish fixing up _Black One_ already, sheesh."

"Soon," Poe assured him. "Soon. Just need a few more parts then she'll be back in the game. You can keep BB-8 with you though, might give you an edge." He walked around the wing and held up his hand to Karena who still sat up top. "Ready?"

Karena slipped her hand into his and hopped down. "As I'll ever be."

* * *

Black Squadron, excluding Poe, left the gorge first.

"Black Leader, this is Black Two, do you copy?" Snap said through the comm.

"I hear ya, Snap," Poe answered, waiting restlessly in the primed X-wing.

"Great, we're coming up behind the TIEs. We'll take 'em further south. You should be clear to rendezvous with the resistance group."

"Thanks, Snap. Be careful."

"You too."

"And be good to my droid."

Snap laughed. "Will do."

Karena flashed Poe a thumb's up through the windshield then lifted off the ground, and he followed up and out of the gorge. It took a few minutes of flying north for Poe to see a giant rock spire sticking up from the ground in the middle of nowhere.

"You see that rock ahead?" Karena asked Poe through the comm channel.

"Yeah."

"That's where they're at."

"Why?" Poe couldn't see any strategic value in hiding out at a random rock spire, especially one that looked like it was about to fall over.

"It's an old Jedi Temple," Karena answered. "It's connected to the underground tunnels that go beneath the surface of Lothal and connect the northern hemisphere to the south."

"Seriously?"

She quietly chuckled at the disbelief in his voice. "Yes." She remembered traveling to Lothal with Ahsoka once during her one-on-one training. The two had done a lot of traveling to old Jedi Temples. But that particular one had been ruined by Inquisitors during the time of the Empire. It was still connected to the tunnels beneath it, though.

The _Desert Dragon_ and the X-wing slowed as it drew closer to the rock spire and stalled in the empty space in front of it in order to land. Waiting outside stood a single person waving at them, a male with cropped black hair and tanned skin. When both ships finished the landing cycles, more people began exiting a tunnel from the rock spire that Poe hadn't noticed on approach.

Karena opened the loading ramp and hurried out of her ship with Gray flying right behind her. Poe climbed out of his cockpit right as he saw her hug the man who had flagged them down.

"A few of us are staying behind," Poe heard the man say as he drew near. "But it's good to see you well after all these years. Here, give this to Leia." The man handed Karena a small disk.

Karena put the disk in her pants pocket and spotted Poe walking up. "Poe, this is Ezra Bridger. Ezra, meet Commander Poe Dameron."

Ezra grinned and held out his hand. "Thanks for coming."

"Anything to help," Poe said, shaking the older man's hand. _So this is the famous Ezra Bridger_ , he thought. Up close, he noticed the graying hair, disheveled facial hair, frown lines, and weary eyes, the face of a man who had seen too much war, just like General Organa. "You have wounded?"

"Oh, yes." Ezra turned and waved at the group stalling near the entrance to the tunnel.

Poe looked at Karena and said, "I'll start getting them situated inside."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"Karena!" a voice squealed, and the blonde woman sharply looked to see two short teenagers barreling toward her. She barely had time to brace for impact before both of Ezra and Sabine's kids slammed into her with hugs with Poe narrowly dodging out of the way.

Ephraim, aged thirteen, was the spitting image of his father and grandfather for whom he was named with black hair, blue eyes, and a strong nose while Ursa, aged fifteen, took after her mother and grandmother with high cheekbones, a slender jaw, and brown eyes, though both sported crazy colors in their hair as their mother had done in her youth. Ursa favored a full, bright blue head, and Ephraim had purple tips.

Poe smiled at the sight before quickly turning his attention to the rest of the group to give Karena space, though he couldn't help but wonder just how exactly she had come to know them. He began helping a wounded woman aboard Karena's ship.

"It's good to see you two," Karena told the two teens as she hugged them tightly. "I'm sorry it's been a few years." She then pulled out of the hug. "But right now we're in a hurry, so why don't you help get everyone on board and we can chat later, okay?"

"Can I help fly?" Ephraim asked with big, pleading eyes.

"It's a single-seat, but you can be in the cockpit during take-off, how about that?"

"Yes!" Ephraim jumped excitedly with a huge grin. "Come on, Ursa!"

Karena shook her head as she watched them run over to the nearest wounded person and help them walk up the ramp. She turned back to Ezra. "Can you tell me what's on the disk?"

"Troop movements around Lothal and other Outer Rim planets mostly," he said. "And there's been word about a First Order base somewhere in the Unknown Regions."

"But they're supposed to be confined to the borderlands."

"Probably why they're trying to keep it secret." Ezra sighed and shook his head, glancing off into the distance. "I don't like it one bit. The moment we got our hands on the intel, they put up the blockade. We were lucky to get word out before they shut down off-planet communications."

"I'm glad we did though."

Karena looked away from Ezra to see her godmother walking up with her arm in a sling but a smile on her face. Sabine Wren still donned her colorful Mandalorian armor after all the years without war as if it had never ended. And to some, it hadn't. Karena was happy to see her armor hadn't changed even if her hair had stayed black.

Sabine held out her good arm and Karena hugged her. "It's good to see you, Auntie," Karena said quietly.

"You too." Sabine left the hug but kept her arm around Karena's upper back. "Everyone who's going is on board, aside from me. Ezra and the few in fighting condition are staying to meet up with a few smaller cells to keep fighting."

"You sure I can't convince you to come?" Karena asked Ezra. "I know Leia and Kelin would be happy to see more familiar faces."

Ezra shook his head again. "No, I'm sorry. I won't leave my home defenseless. It's almost like the Empire all over again. I can't leave when there is still a fight to be fought."

Karena scoffed while smiling. "Rebels."

"Don't you know it." Ezra looked at his wife with a sad smile and they hugged. "I love you, and may the Force be with you."

"I love you, too," Sabine returned. "Be careful."

Sabine and Ezra separated and he started backing away with a salute. He and three others stood by the entrance to the old tunnel. Sabine climbed aboard the _Desert Dragon_ , but before Karena followed, she met with Poe at the base of the ramp.

"Everyone's settled," he told her. "I made sure to get as many as possible buckled in in case you'll need to do some fancy maneuvering, but the kids refused, and there aren't enough secure seats anyway."

"That doesn't surprise me," Karena said. "They'll be fine." That didn't assuage the worry in his eyes. "And so will I. One more blockade run, and then we're back on base."

"Try to leave the tricks to me, please. At least with your passengers."

"Okay." Karena reached down and quickly squeezed his hand reassuringly before climbing aboard her ship.

Karena and Poe lifted off the ground and began flying into the sky. Ursa fussed with the wounded while Sabine and Ephraim stood on either side of Karena's pilot seat as the rest of the seating in the small scout ship was taken, including her bed which had a man with a broken leg and side wound.

"Black Squadron, this is Black Leader," Poe said into comms. "Does anyone copy?"

"Loud and clear, Poe!" Karé replied right away. "Please tell me you're on your way out."

"We're heading into the upper atmosphere right now."

"Then we're on our way," Snap said. "All Wings on me. It's time to head home."

"Is that Snap?" Sabine asked Karena quietly, standing behind her in the cockpit of the scout ship. Karena quickly nodded up at her godmother before focusing on flying.

The flight up into the atmosphere was smooth sailing until Black Squadron met up with Karena and Poe with a few TIEs still tailing them as they returned to the blockade.

"Set coordinates for Base," Poe ordered through comms. "The moment you get a clear shot, make the jump to hyperspace. I don't want to see any delays. You get the chance, take it."

"Copy that, Black Leader," Jess said.

"You got it," Suralinda added.

"Gray, full power to the deflector shields," Karena said as she dodged TIE blaster fire. "And set the base coordinates in the navi-computer. We won't be firing back this time." Gray beeped in understanding and did as ordered.

Despite Poe's orders to his squadron, he deliberately waited until Karena was in hyperspace before making the jump himself.

* * *

Sabine had shooed Ephraim out of the cockpit to leave her alone with Karena. While the young boy didn't particularly like that since he wanted to learn how to fly, he listened to his mother and went to help his sister with the wounded and use some of the medical supplies Karena did keep stocked.

The older Mandalorian leaned against the dashboard, holding her helmet in her slinged arm and being careful not to press any buttons. "So, what's with you and the pilot?" she asked with a sly grin. "Black Leader, right, what's his name? Poe?"

Karena groaned and leaned back in her chair. "You too? Really?"

Sabine raised her good arm out wide. "What? I saw your exchange before take off. It looked a little more than friendly."

Karena turned away, checking the power levels of her ship instead even though she knew they were perfectly fine. "I'm not entertaining this conversation."

"You and your mom have similar tastes, it seems. Though yours is a tad more roguish."

"I didn't have to come help you, you know."

Sabine nudged Karena's shoulder. "Switch off, you love me."

Karena looked up and shrugged. "I prefer Wedge."

With a gape, Sabine was tempted to smack her god-daughter upside the head though she refrained. "Take that back. I'm your favorite godparent, and you know it."

"Wedge doesn't tease me."

"He will when he learns about you and the flyboy."

"And until that time, he'll be my favorite."

"You're exactly like your mother."

Karena didn't answer, simply giving her godmother a wily grin.

* * *

A few hours later, Black Squadron and Karena dropped out of hyperspace and they landed on the tarmac outside of Hangar Bay 4. Medics met them immediately and began shuttling the five wounded adults to the med-center. Karena escorted Sabine and the kids to Leia's office where she handed the disk of intel to Kelin who, after hugging Sabine and the kids, went to read the disk.

"I was hoping to get in touch with the old group and rejoin Ezra on Lothal," Sabine told Leia. "Think I can use a holoterminal?"

"Of course," Leia said, holding Sabine's hand between her own. "Anything you need."

Sabine fully understood what Leia was offering even if she hadn't explicitly stated it. "Oh, no, no, you need your ships more than we do. We'll be good with the _Ghost_ and Kallus' ship. But I appreciate it."

Leia wanted to insist on giving them a ship or two but understood that the Spectres worked best without so many to worry about. "Alright. I'll make sure the _Ghost_ is cleared for landing."

"Thank you."

The moment Sabine relayed Lothal's situation to Hera and Zeb, both were on board for helping liberate Lothal once again, and Kallus went wherever Zeb decided to go due to his oath to right his wrongs, so despite the ex-agent's old age, he was up for fighting against a tyrannical regime once again.

The following day, Zeb and Kallus waited in orbit while the _Ghost_ landed on D'Qar to pick up Sabine, Ephraim, Ursa, and the other rebels from Lothal, all ready to return to the fight now that they were up and moving once again.

Kelin and Karena embraced Hera and Jacen briefly before Hera quickly got to work with Sabine, Leia, and Kelin on how to keep in touch and work together should they need it. Jacen was checking out the _Desert Dragon_ with Chopper at his side.

"She's still in good shape," Jacen said, running his hand along the edge. With his bright green hair, he stood as tall as his dad once had. "Remember when we used to steal her?"

"My mom got pissed every time we did," Karena replied with a chuckle. It felt like a lifetime ago when they would fly off with the ship over the jungle of Yavin IV instead of focusing on their early Jedi training. The better days when all she had to worry about was her mother's reaction when they returned to the temple. Her father was always secretly amused and hid his expression every time, trying to keep up a neutral or disappointed facade so he avoided Kaleena's exasperation towards him as well.

Little did Kaleena know that her own father had the same exasperation towards her when she was younger, as did Qui-Gon when Obi-Wan was younger. Even Kanan had the same feelings towards Ezra just as Ezra had the same feelings towards Jacen. And poor Depa Billaba had to deal with a reckless young Kanan, or Caleb, as well. How the cycle of reckless padawans continued.

Jacen dropped his hand from the side of the ship, turning to his old friend. "And now it's our time to fight. Let's make them proud, shall we?"

"They already are."

His eyebrows twitched up. "How do you know?"

Karena's eyes drifted over to where Hera, Sabine, Leia, and Kelin stood. She could imagine her mother standing there with them and heard her words echo through her mind. _You have your whole life ahead of you, if only you would let yourself live it, then you could see what I see_.

"Parents seem to know our potential even before we do. They're already proud. Earning and keeping their pride is the difficult part."

"Well said. Now you sound like a Kenobi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to showcase some outsider points of view towards Karena as more than just the person who is barely on base and barely talks to anyone since I usually only show her own point of view along with Poe and Kelin. She's the nerdy but reckless friend who comes off as cocky to people who don't know her, you know? The one with a seemingly random knowledge set that they find interesting but others don't. And also, gotta have the Ghost crew show up at some point if I had Boba lol.


	15. Mission to Jakku

34 ABY

Both Skywalker twins were with Leia when she finally received word from Lor San Tekka about a map to Luke along with coordinates for where to meet him on the Inner Rim desert planet Jakku. It was as though everything switched. Karena perked up, standing straight, and Kelin tensed.

"No," Kelin said sternly, looking at his sister. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Yes," Karena countered, shooting a quick glare at him before turning to their aunt. "I'm going. And you can't stop me."

It was silent in the office as Leia stared down at the message from Lor. Everything was coming to fruition. They were on verge of war with the First Order. Lor had found a map leading to what her brother had been searching for. If they were lucky, Luke would be there. Things were growing tenser in the galaxy and they needed to be ready. She believed Luke would be needed for that.

Finally, Leia said, "I know." She set down the datapad and met her niece's gaze. "But you're not going alone. You and Commander Dameron, an unmarked small shuttle, to Jakku and back, no delays. Got it?"

Karena nodded. "Okay."

She was about to walk away when Kelin grabbed her arm and said, "Ren."

Karena looked up at her twin. "You don't need to find him, but I do. Kel, please don't fight me on this."

Slowly, Kelin released his hold on her arm and sighed. "Alright. Just. . . be careful, okay?"

"I will," she reassured. "And it's not like I'm going to run off to find him the moment I get the map anyway."

"You better not," Leia chimed in. While she seemed stern, she still had a playfulness showing through her gaze. "I'll comm Dameron and have a technician begin readying a ship. You might want to put something on that's suitable for a desert climate."

"What, dark clothing isn't suitable for unbearable heat?" Karena joked, picking at the long sleeves of her dark teal top. She didn't give them a meaningful chance to reply as she walked away immediately after with a teasing grin sent their way.

As they watched her leave the office, Leia said to Kelin, "She'll be okay."

"I hope so."

Karena hurried to the _Desert Dragon_ so she could change. While she had never been to Jakku, she had learned about it due to it being the site of the last battle against the Empire. It was one of the stories Wedge had told her since he, Norra, and Snap were all there. And from what Wedge had told her, Jakku sounded like Tatooine, a planet which she had been to and knew how to dress appropriately for.

After stripping and putting on lighter clothes and a poncho, she went to her weapon locker and was about to grab two blasters when the drawer containing her lightsabers called out to her. Karena bit her lip and stared at the closed drawer. The Force pulled her to them, weapons she hadn't wielded in years for more than practicing. And even when practicing, she favored training weapons in the workout facility. The sabers had been too obvious for regular use. But here the Force was telling her to use them, not the blasters.

She didn't want to. _Maker_ , she did not want to take them from the drawer. It meant she would need to use them. It meant a lot of blaster fire. It meant tight spots and danger. It meant lightsaber duels. It meant Kylo Ren. She wanted to face him. She needed to face him. But not when Poe would be with her. Not with him in harm's way with the potential for Kylo Ren to use Poe against her because she knew he would if he got the chance. But it also meant that she needed to be ready for it. She couldn't be caught without her lightsabers.

 _This weapon is your life_. The words echoed through her mind. The words Obi-Wan Kenobi told his daughter. The words Kaleena Kenobi-Skywalker told her children. The words Karena Skywalker told her brother when he almost tossed aside his own saber after that tragic night when the dust settled.

With a quiet groan, she pried open the drawer and grabbed the two sabers, twirling the hilts in her hands, feeling the familiar weight.

 _Alright, we'll do it your way_ , Karena said in her mind. She hooked the sabers to the back of her belt, hidden beneath the poncho, then she started to leave her ship.

Gray whistled at her when she was halfway down the ramp, inquiring on orders. Like the ship, Gray was a constant reminder of her mother. Karena couldn't leave him behind. She nodded for the seeker droid to follow. Gray floated over to her shoulder, pinning himself to the fabric, and together they left after closing the ramp, making their way to the older U-wing, one of the few models left from the Rebellion era.

Climbing aboard, she heard the engines come online, so she and Gray went to the cockpit where BB-8 and Poe already were. Karena came up behind Poe in the pilot seat and ran her hands over his shoulders as she leaned against him.

Poe looked up with a big grin and said, "Hey, sweetheart. What took you so long?"

"Had to get all dressed up just for you," she replied easily with a teasing smirk.

He bit his lip and grabbed one of her hands to bring it up to his mouth, and he kissed the back of it. "I like the sound of that, but I'd rather hear it when we're not about to go on a mission."

Moving away from Poe, Karena sat down in the co-pilot seat, leaning against the arm of the chair. "What, you didn't like the last mission I dressed up for?"

He tilted his head to the side as he recalled their last solo mission together. Well, it was their first and last mission with just the two of them. He recalled the day easily, remembering how standoffish and cold she had been toward him. "Considering you jeopardized it for some vendetta you still haven't explained, no, no, I did not like it." Poe gave her another smile as he lifted the ship off the tarmac. "Although, I would greatly enjoy seeing you in that dress again."

"In your dreams." She turned the seat to face the dashboard and prime the navi-computer.

"Every night."

Her hands stilled as she looked back at him, lifting an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Poe shrugged. "Not sure how I could prove that exactly, but I could prove other things." He threw her a wink.

"Get your head out of your cockpit," she told him, though he could still hear the fondness in her voice while he flew out of the atmosphere. "This is supposed to be a serious mission."

"Desert planet. Quick pickup. Unmarked ship," he listed. "What could go wrong? And even if something does go wrong, what's so bad about trying to stay positive?"

"Optimism can be a distraction."

"So can pessimism," he pointed out. As he reached for the lever to jump to lightspeed, he paused, looking at the woman beside him. It had been almost four whole years since they initially met, so he considered himself a decent expert on her hidden thoughts by the slightest movement of her expression. The tenseness in her shoulders, eyes wider than normal, fingers drumming on dashboard buttons without pressing them. He didn't like it. "What's got you worried?"

Karena took a second to think. The answer was easy. The Force. But that would open into loads more questions she wouldn't answer since he needed his head clear and not focused on her. The Force told her something was wrong. It made her feel uneasy. Taking in a slow breath, she looked at him with a small smile. "It's nothing. Just the pessimism talking."

He wanted to tell her she didn't have to put on a brave face around him, but he let her have it and nodded. "Alright, sweetheart." Poe then made the jump to hyperspace.

* * *

Aside from their usual banter and the droids getting on each other's nerves as per usual, the hyperspace flight to Jakku was uneventful, filled with Poe not-so-subtly trying to keep Karena's mind off of whatever was not-so-secretly bothering her. It worked for the most part, at least until the proximity alert went off then she went back to trying not to show she was worried.

Poe gently squeezed her hand then flew the ship down to the desert planet. He wanted to do more but didn't know what he could do, so he was silent support.

For Jakku, it was night time, a couple of hours before midnight, as Poe started the landing cycle for the small shuttle on the edge of the village that the coordinates led them to. Karena discreetly checked to make sure her lightsabers were secure on her back as they landed. She grew even twitchier now that they were planetside. She didn't like it for even a single moment, but she returned Poe's reassuring smile.

His smile eased a few of her nerves but not all. The uncertain feelings were far too deep-seated for his smile to do much for her, unfortunately.

Karena and Poe left the small shuttle, the two droids trailing behind them.

The village they had arrived in wasn't very large, but it bolstered a high amount of diversity characteristic of a barren desert planet. It didn't take them long to find Lor San Tekka, who was waiting for them outside of a hut near the far side of the village.

The elder waved for them to follow him inside, and Poe turned to the droids before following and said, "Keep an eye out, you two."

Gray looked at Karena who nodded her agreement with his orders, so the seeker droid followed BB-8 to scout around while their owners did business.

Karena and Poe ducked inside the hut where Lor dug out a small leather bag and he held it out to them. Karena almost reached out to take it as Lor had intended by facing her, but she couldn't. She couldn't lift her hand to take the bag and whatever was inside.

So Poe did. He unstrung the sack and dug his fingers inside, pulling out a small, metal fragment.

"This will begin to make things right," Lor told them as they stared at the object. "I've traveled too far and seen too much to ignore the despair in the galaxy. Without the Jedi, there can be no balance in the Force, and for that, Luke Skywalker must be found." His wise eyes met Karena's, seeing deep into her soul. "We must all stop running from our destinies."

Poe didn't notice the silent exchange between the two as he was still looking over the map piece between his fingers. "Well, because of you, now we have a chance," he said. "The General's been after this for a long time."

Lor scoffed with a smile. "'The General.' To me, she's royalty."

"She certainly is that."

Poe started pocketing the map piece when the droids burst through the blinds with frantic beeps.

 _First Order ships = incoming eastbound_.

"We've got company," Poe translated for Lor.

The three humans quickly left the hut. Poe pulled the quadnocs off his belt and looked at the horizon, spotting the lights of enemy ships closing in. He handed the quadnocs to Karena to view them too as he told Lor, "You have to hide."

"You have to leave. Go!" Lor shooed them off.

Karena knew something was going to go wrong. The Force was never wrong. The First Order must have intercepted their transmission from Lor. And the cold feeling seeping into her being as she ran back to the ship with Poe and the droids wasn't simply for the imminent danger. She could feel his presence at a distance. The Force signature she had grown so used to feeling. Her cousin.

She quickly blocked her connection to the Force so he wasn't able to sense her in return if he hadn't already.

Poe opened the ramp of the shuttle and hurried to the controls while Karena waited for the droids to catch up to the running, and Karena spotted stormtroopers notice the ship when the droids entered.

"We've been spotted!" Karena started digging around for a blaster since the ship didn't seem to be going anywhere for the moment.

"Then shoot them! I'm a little busy here!"

With no other blaster available, Karena unhooked Poe's from the hook on the wall, which he heard, and he glanced back to see her return to the loading ramp with his personal blaster.

"Where's your blaster?" he asked as the engines finished coming online. "You don't have a blaster?"

Karena aimed and shot a stormtrooper that was running toward the shuttle. "'What could go wrong?'" she repeated from their conversation earlier with a mocking tone.

"That's not the point!"

The ship started to lift into the air, but the back was hit before it cleared a few feet. Karena stumbled and caught herself on the opening. Poe cursed loudly as the ship hit the sand again. He tried to lift the ship again but the engine sputtered, so he got up and followed Karena out of the ship to see the rear engine panel on fire. The rest of the village was in chaos as flametroopers set huts on fire.

Poe noticed the look on Karena's face and said, "Not a word."

Karena felt the warning through the Force before either of them saw the trooper or heard the blaster. Grabbing him by the arm, Karena pushed Poe to the ground only to get shot instead. The force of the shot made her crumple to her knees. Poe rolled around, taking his blaster from Karena, and shot the trooper, then spun up onto his knees to see Karena holding her shoulder in pain.

"You shouldn't have done that, sweetheart," he muttered, moving her hand to see blood from the wound between her collarbone and shoulder.

"And let you get shot in the back? No way," she argued.

Poe looked back at the village where people were being rounded up by stormtroopers and pulled out the leather sack from his pocket. He motioned for BB-8 to come closer and took the object from the bag. "You take this." BB-8 opened a compartment and Poe set the map piece inside. "It'll be safer with you than with me. You need to get as far away from here as you can."

Karena's eyes widened. "What?"

"All three of you," Poe clarified. "You can't do much with your shoulder like that. I'll distract them long enough for you to get far away from here, and I'll come back for you. I swear I will. It will be alright."

She wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe everything would be fine. "Be careful."

"No promises." He gave her a reassuring smile, something he had grown used to giving her. "And take care of my droid." As she began to nod, he leaned in with his hand on the back of her head and kissed her. Something about it seemed urgent and fearful, unlike any of their usual kisses. Neither wanted it to end, but it had to. When he pulled away, he stood up. "Now, go. I'll find you."

Karena pushed herself up off the sand floor and started running with the droids on her heels. She glanced back as she ran, spotting a large, dark shuttle flying to the village. That had to be her cousin, she knew it in her bones. But she continued with the droids, leaving the village behind.

Then the sand and sky lit up. Karena and the droids skidded to a stop and turned to see a massive explosion illuminating the area.

BB-8 beeped sadly. "No, Bee," Karena said. "I don't think that was Poe. But it was definitely our ship." The explosion was too small to not have been a ship. She knelt beside him and rubbed his dome, and Gray settled on her uninjured shoulder. "We'll be fine as long as we stick together, alright? Poe's been in worse, I think, so he'll be fine, too."

_I hope._

Hours after high-noon the following day, the pain and exhaustion finally got to Karena. With the hot sun bearing down on her, the blood loss from her shoulder wound, and having been walking for miles for hours, even her attempts at using the Force to keep going were fading. She hadn't had any water since she had first left D'Qar the previous afternoon and the heat only made it worse. _A quick trip, what could go wrong?_ she said a few times in her head until finally, she tripped and fell into the sand.

Both droids immediately panicked, rushed to her side, and started prodding her with their arms, but it was no use. She was unconscious.

After a heated exchange of beeping, the droids decided to split up despite Karena's words saying they should stick together. Grey would stay with his owner while BB-8 went to look for help.

So BB-8 rolled away, glancing back at Karena and Gray sadly.

Then BB-8 found himself in trouble, too.

* * *

A teenage girl looked over the vast sand dunes of the planet Jakku from her spot against a fallen AT-AT. She had just finished eating and put on an old helmet she had once found buried in the sand. It was too big for her, but she didn't care. Something about it brought her joy. The idea of adventure and wonder that she hadn't found during her time on the desert planet. Part of her wished something would be interesting for once instead of having the same schedule day in and day out. Get up, scavenge for parts, ride into town, clean the parts, trade the parts for food and water, return home, eat, go to sleep. Rinse and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Some days she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to control the giant machine that she had made her home or fly one of the large capital ships that dotted the landscape from a major battle over the planet years prior. The only thing she had ever flown was a few land speeders, but some of the mechanics seemed to translate over to bigger aircraft, like the quadjumper owned by her employer Unkar Plutt. But until then, she liked to imagine it was possible, she would be stuck scavenging for parts and attempting to learn what said parts were even responsible for. It wasn't as though Plutt had been charitable in his teachings.

Then she heard a faint electronic squeal. The girl picked up her head and stood, taking off the helmet. She wasn't sure if the noise had been her imagination or not, so she waited and listened.

And she heard it again.

The girl dropped the helmet, hurried to grab her quarterstaff, and ran off toward the noise. Climbing a sand dune, she spotted a round, white, and orange droid caught in a net by a small, brutish, desert tyrant called Teedo who rode a luggabeast.

She bounded over to them and yelled out, "Tal'ama parqual!" Both the Teedo and the droid went silent and turned to her running over to them. "Parqual zatana!"

The Teedo yelled something back, but the girl pulled out a knife from the pouch on her belt and knelt by the droid, BB-8, cutting him out of the netting. The Teedo started yelling again, but the girl stood with her hand raised and said, "Noma," with finality to her tone.

"Ahhh!" the Teedo barked before starting to ride off on his beast.

BB-8 started beeping incessantly, angry at almost being taken, but the girl shushed him. He looked up at her, offended, then watched the Teedo ride off.

When BB-8 beeped again, the girl said, "That's just Teedo. Wants you for parts. He has no respect for anyone." Teedos usually only cared for their own species, not unlike many other species. "Your antenna's bent." She knelt in front of him, reached out, and took the antenna off BB-8's dome head to straighten it. "Where do you come from?" BB-8 beeped his answer. "Classified. Really? Me too. Big secret." She replaced the antenna then pointed to the horizon. "Niima Outpost is that way, stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north, you'll drown in the sand."

She then stood and started to walk away, but BB-8 beeped and followed. The girl turned and said, "Don't follow me. Town is that way." She pointed him in the direction again, but he beeped again, this time a longer explanation, a plea for help.

"Your-what?" she repeated with a frown. BB-8 told her again at a slower pace. She looked away, toward the direction of the place she had made her home, and something in her didn't feel right with telling the droid to go away. "Alright. Bring me to them."

BB-8 led the girl he had just met almost half a mile away to where Gray was patting the sand on Karena's arms. After BB-8 had left, he started covering her exposed skin to protect her from sun damage.

"Oh, no," the girl murmured to herself and rushed over to the unconscious woman. Gray was tempted to yell at her as best he could with his beeping but didn't when he noticed BB-8 strolling over. The girl knelt beside them, brushed the sand off the woman's arms, then rolled her over onto her side. Dried blood caked around the wound on her shoulder. The girl did her best to hoist the unconscious woman up over her back. "Come on."

* * *

In the middle of the night, Karena woke up to her entire body sore with her shoulder and head throbbing in pain. But there was no sun beating down on her from above. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped in place, but she didn't get very far with her right hand bound to a bar. Karena paused her movement and looked at her surroundings. She was sitting on her poncho on a platform in some sort of metal room, the layout of which looked familiar.

Then she noticed a girl at least ten years younger stand from a hammock in the far corner and walked over. "Here, drink this," the girl said, sitting next to Karena on the floor.

Karena looked at the canteen the girl was holding out then over the two droids rolling over. They seemed in prime condition if not a little sandy. But other than that, their host stood out more than their surroundings. Karena felt a familiar pull to the girl that she did with her brother, aunt, cousin, and Jacen. Everyone that was Force-sensitive.

"I'll be fine," Karena said, her voice scratchy and hoarse. She cleared her throat, but it only helped a little. "I don't know how I feel about drinking your water. I know it's not easy to come by on a desert planet."

The girl adjusted her position as she lowered her arm. "Been to many desert planets?"

"This would be my second. Can't say I ever want to go to another one."

"That's a good decision."

Karena studied the girl. Light clothing, hair pulled back, slight muscle definition, living in a makeshift home with one wall full of intentional scratch marks and a small flower in a pot that seemed well taken care of. The place only had one bed, the hammock, so Karena quickly deduced the girl was living alone. And by the look of Karena's shoulder, the stranger had done her best to patch it up, so despite being alone, she had a good heart. Karena couldn't help but think of her own mother when looking at the girl: sophisticated Core World accent, dark hair, dark eyes, strong jaw.

She then frowned at her. "If it's a good decision, why haven't you left yet?"

The girl immediately looked uncomfortable at the question. "I-I can't. I need to stay."

"Why?"

"That's none of your business."

Karena couldn't help but grin. "Sounds familiar. That's what I used to say every time someone asked me a personal question. Hell, it's something I still sometimes say." She looked at the round droid with her own sitting on top of his head. "Right, Bee?"

BB-8 rolled in place and beeped with a nod. _Vornskr = Correct_.

The girl's eyebrows furrowed. "Vornskr?" she repeated.

Karena half shrugged with her uninjured shoulder. "It's my callsign."

"Callsign?"

" _That's none of your business_ ," Karena repeated, matching Rey's accent.

The girl let out a small chuckle. "Alright, that was actually pretty good."

Something about the girl not only reminded Karena of her mother but also of herself. She had to give something to get something. "My mom had the same accent, but no one else around us did, so hers didn't stick. And Vornskr is my callsign because I'm a spy." The effect of her words was immediate.

The girl looked down at her hands in her lap. "I can't leave because I'm waiting for my parents to return."

"That's what the tally marks are?" Karena gestured to the wall of scratches with her head and the girl nodded. "I think you know deep down they aren't coming back. Just as I knew my dad wasn't coming back. You have to forge your own path and not let others choose it for you." She wasn't completely sure why she felt the need to provide advice for the stranger that had decided to not only help her but also tie her up, but the Force told her to trust her, so she would. And to do that, Karena needed to convince the girl to untie her bonds rather than using the Force to free herself.

As she looked up at Karena, the girl's eyes narrowed, indignation once again creeping in. "How long did it take you to figure that out?"

"I was actually taught it growing up, so my brother and I always tried to find what we wanted to do. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it wasn't. But my dad grew up on a desert planet, Tatooine, on a moisture farm. He hated it and always fought with his uncle about leaving. Then he finally got the chance and joined the Rebellion against the Empire."

Scoffing, the girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So, your dad ran out on his family twice. I thought you were trying to convince me to leave, not to stay?"

Karena gave her a soft smile. "His aunt and uncle were killed by the Empire. That's why he left Tatooine to join the Rebellion. And while I hate that he left me and my brother, I understand why he did. It took a while, and if I ever see him again, I'm sure it won't be a happy reunion, but I still understand. Perhaps your parents left for a reason, too. Us kids don't always understand our parent's motives, but we should try and trust them until they've given us a reason not to."

That made the girl hesitate. "I can't promise I'll leave, but I can bring you to Niima Outpost and help you leave."

"Thank you."

"I'm Rey."

"Karena." She didn't miss the beep from BB-8. It was also the first time he had heard her name.

Rey nodded then held out the canteen again. "Would you take some of the blasted water now?"


	16. Aboard the Finalizer

34 ABY

Poe was shackled for the duration of the flight up to the command ship in orbit above Jakku. He was ushered from the large shuttle by a trooper who was roughly pulling him along, but he tugged back on their grip and said, "Alright, alright!" Then he noticed his surroundings. A large hangar bay. Larger than anything he had been in before. The walls were lined with TIE fighters and troopers were stationed all around the spacious room.

He had a feeling he wasn't going to make it back to Jakku as he had promised.

A different trooper hauled him away, escorting him further into the ship to a holding cell where he would await interrogation.

One trooper, in particular, entered an empty troop transport and removed his helmet, breathing erratically. Sweat covered his face as he hyperventilated for a few moments in the dark corner of the transport vessel. Flashes of his time on Jakku haunted his every thought. One of the members of his contingent that he was closest to had died right in front of him, leaving a bloody, smeared handprint on the helmet he held in front of him. And he played out that moment again and again along with the screams of the villagers as they were all slaughtered.

But then the poor trooper was no longer alone.

Captain Phasma walked up the ramp behind him, covered head to toe in her imposing chrome armor. She looked at the unmasked trooper with little sympathy. "FN-2187," she said, and the trooper tensed at her voice. "Submit your blaster for inspection."

She knew he hadn't fired a shot at the villagers.

"Yes, Captain," he said, eyes wide and turning away from her. He couldn't look at her.

"And who gave you permission to remove that helmet?"

"I'm sorry, Captain."

"Report to my division at once." Then she left him there.

The words chilled him to the bones, but he donned his helmet once again and stood up straight. He had a bad feeling, and he needed to get out of there. But how?

* * *

Pain was the only thing Poe could feel besides numbness, but he didn't care. He didn't care that he was shackled to a chair in the middle of a First Order command ship. He didn't care that he was bleeding from his cheek and lip and maybe his head, he couldn't tell. He didn't care that he was being tortured for information. He didn't care that he hadn't been given any water for hours. He didn't care about anything other than not letting the pathetic bastards who had grabbed him know anything about what he had done with the map to Luke Skywalker.

They didn't deserve to know. They would only kill the man if they found him. Luke Skywalker, General Organa's twin brother. He couldn't let his general down. He couldn't let anyone down.

He'd let them kill him before he willingly gave up the map's location, regardless of who he had handed it off to. But since it was in the charge of a person and a droid he cared deeply about, he'd let the First Order burn him alive before giving them up along with the map piece. And that's what he was prepared for.

Poe had passed out from the pain after it had grown increasingly worse, and the interrogators left him there unconscious. When he came to about an hour later, a dark-masked figure stood in front of the door. It was the same figure that stopped a blaster bolt in mid-air.

Kylo Ren.

"I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board," Kylo said mockingly, his voice modulated by his helmet. Poe picked up his head to look at the cloaked figure. "Comfortable?"

"Not really," Poe remarked, glaring at the man. At least, he assumed Kylo Ren was a man based on the voice and stature, but everything he had heard about Ren pointed to him being a monster. A monster that was responsible for the massacre of the entire village down on Jakku. Poe prayed BB-8 and Karena were as far away from there as possible and safe from the clutches of the First Order.

Kylo started walking toward Poe. "I'm impressed. No one has been able to get out of you what you did with the map." He stopped in front of Poe, staring down at him.

"Might wanna rethink your technique," Poe taunted. He knew it likely wasn't a good idea to taunt the people holding him captive, but he couldn't help it. He wouldn't show fear and he wouldn't back down.

Kylo said nothing then reached out, his hand just a short distance away from Poe's head. It only took a moment of confusion before Poe was in pain once again, this time his head feeling as though it was imploding. And soon, he was in agony, worse than anything he had ever felt before like something was grabbing his brain and squeezing. He tried not to make a sound, but whatever Ren was doing to him forced his head to hit the back of the interrogation chair, and a soft groan of pain escaped despite his best effort.

"Where is it?" Kylo pressed.

Poe struggled to look up at the man in front of him. "The Resistance will not be intimidated by you." He struggled with his words, but failure was not an option.

"Where. . . is it?"

He had heard stories about the Force, about Jedi and Sith, about the Light Side and Dark Side, but nothing prepared him for the immeasurable pain exploding in his head.

A blood-curdling scream escaped him as Poe couldn't take the pain in silence anymore, but Kylo recoiled in shock at the images that passed through the pilot's mind.

Kylo took a step back, his eyes wide beneath the mask, and he dropped his attempts at penetrating the Resistance pilot's mind. He had to admit the pilot was good, but something always slipped through when in pain. Yet he hadn't expected. . . that.

He replayed what he had seen. His cousin, well, one of them at least, smiling brightly. She was smiling. Smiling at the pilot. Older than when he had last seen her beaten and broken on Yavin IV. And another memory of her head gently pressing against the pilot's as they stared into each other's eyes. It was her. The same blonde hair. The same blue eyes. The same features he loathed because they were the features of a Skywalker, the family he felt betrayed him.

 _She can't be_. . . Kylo said to himself. _I thought I- I thought she_. . . _Only Kelin should be alive_.

Poe was breathless and confused as to why Kylo had stopped but part of him was relieved that he had. He picked his head up to look at Kylo who stood there in silence. The silence was almost worse. "What? That's all you've got? Thought you'd make it harder for me." Little did he know that Kylo had seen exactly what he wanted because the pain was only a byproduct of him digging through Poe's mind, not intentionally reaching out to harm it.

"She's alive?" Kylo mumbled, staring at the ground. "She's alive." His jaw clenched. "Of course she is. Skywalkers are hard to kill." His eyes drifted up to the pilot. She had been smiling at the pilot, and it was such a profound memory that it meant more than a simple instance of them passing by each other, especially with the more intimate one that came after it. And they were paired with a memory of the pilot handing off a small object to an orange and white droid with Karena right next to it. "But I'm glad to know I have someone important to her right in front of me."

Poe's expression pinched together. "What?"

Kylo laughed darkly, taking a step forward. "You have no idea, do you? I suppose she hasn't changed much in the last six years."

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Poe asked quietly, not liking anything about what Kylo was insinuating.

Kylo looked into the pilot's eyes even though he couldn't see past the mask to see Kylo's own. But Kylo could see the confusion and fear swirling around the dark gaze. "You handed the map to Luke Skywalker over to your droid and Skywalker's daughter." He laughed again at the pilot's eyes widening. "I commend you for finding both of them for us, _Commander_." He leaned closer, a gloved hand lacing through Poe's hair and tugging hard to make sure the pilot was looking at him and didn't miss the wince. "The Force, of course, is a pathway to many abilities some might consider impossible, but I wonder if she can feel your pain from here. I hope she does. It will make it far easier to find her, so I can slice her in half again. But this time, I'll make sure she stays dead."

He then backed away, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room, the hatch sliding shut behind him, leaving the pilot to stew in his own thoughts for a while.

The remnants of pain were still coursing through Poe as he leaned back in the interrogation chair, looking up at the light on the ceiling. "She's. . . what?"

And slowly, it all made sense to him. The way she would grow annoyed whenever someone mentioned Luke Skywalker. The way she talked about her parents being part of the Rebellion and her father being a pilot. A missing pilot. How she knew Wedge and Snap and Leia. Why she was so reluctant to tell him anything concrete about her family, even something as simple as what squadron her pilot father had been in due to the fear of Poe putting two and two together.

The scar covering her lower abdomen. He had seen it a hundred times. It wasn't just any scar. It was a lightsaber scar. It was a lightsaber scar from the monster who had just left the room.

Her vendetta against Kylo Ren made a lot more sense.

Outside the holding cell, Kylo looked to General Hux, a tall, red-haired human male, who was waiting for him just a few feet away. "It's in a droid. A BB unit," he told the general. "White and orange plating."

"Well then, if it's on Jakku, we'll soon have it," the young general said with a smile that would make most uneasy but really only annoyed Kylo.

"The droid will be with a woman. Blonde, dangerous. I want her alive and brought before me." Hux's eyes narrowed at Kylo, but he nodded anyway. "I leave that to you." Kylo then stormed away, a mixture of relief and fury coursing through him.

His cousin was alive. He knew he shouldn't be relieved, but a small bit of him couldn't help but feel it anyway. He thought he had killed her six years ago. He had cut her in two, he thought. But no, she was alive, and she would get in his way of finding and destroying her father, his uncle, the great Luke Skywalker. It wasn't her that he truly wanted to kill.

Deep inside him was still the young boy who missed playing with his cousins. The young boy who only wanted to feel loved and like he belonged.

* * *

Later, the holding cell door opened to reveal a stormtrooper. The new trooper went to the one that was in charge of guarding Poe and said, "Ren wants the prisoner."

Without a second thought, the guard unshackled Poe, grabbed a pair of handcuffs, and put them on him before hauling him up and handing him off to the new trooper. If Ren wanted the prisoner, no one was going to question it. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of his erratic behavior or his crackling lightsaber.

Poe didn't fight. He was exhausted, still in pain, and confused. He was torn between wanting answers and being left alone. Poe was briefly tempted to fight back for a moment, not wanting to return to the clutches of Kylo Ren, but he didn't. He was too tired. Too uncaring. Too done. Too numb.

The new trooper, unaware of what was going through Poe's mind or lack thereof, led him out of the cell and down the hall while pointing a blaster at Poe.

"Turn here," the trooper ordered and led Poe into a narrow passageway- far too narrow to be a legitimate hallway. The trooper stopped Poe before going too far and turned him so they were facing each other. "Listen carefully: you do exactly as I say, I can get you out of here."

"If-what?" Poe asked, growing more baffled by the second. It took a moment for his brain to comprehend what was going on since he had all but shut it off as a coping mechanism for the lingering pain from the initial bout that Kylo had inflicted.

The stormtrooper took off his helmet, revealing a dark-skinned human male perhaps ten or so years younger than Poe. "This is a rescue," the trooper said. "I'm helping you escape. Can you fly a TIE fighter?"

"You with the Resistance?" Poe asked. A brief hope of Karena calling the Resistance for aid passed through him which would mean BB-8 and her were safe.

"What?" The trooper shook his head. "No, no! I'm breaking you out. Can you fly a TIE fighter?" He was growing more desperate by the second.

Poe looked at him with complete confidence. "I can fly anything." The trooper grinned, ecstatic that he found a way to run away, and Poe looked at him closely. "Why, why are you helping me?"

The trooper straightened out and said the first thing that came to mind, hoping it would get the pilot to trust him even if it was a lie. "Because it's the right thing to do."

No, that didn't sound right, and the realization hit Poe quickly. The stormtrooper was defecting. "You need a pilot."

"I need a pilot," the trooper repeated breathlessly.

Poe smiled at him. "We're gonna do this." He could return to Jakku just like he had promised.

The unnamed trooper was still unsure but hopeful. "Yeah?"

"Lead me to the ships and I'll get us out of here."

The trooper put his mask back on and loosened the cuffs on Poe to make it look like they were still secure, but he could take them off whenever he wanted, then they made their way to one of the hangar bays. By all appearances, it looked like the trooper was escorting a prisoner, exactly what they wanted it to look like as stormtroopers and officers passed by them without question or concern.

"Okay, stay calm, stay calm," the trooper muttered.

"I am calm," Poe replied.

"I'm talking to myself." Poe glanced back at the trooper wanting to ask something, but he didn't get the chance. "Not yet." A group of officers walked by. "Okay, go. This way." The trooper started walking quickly toward the far wall with Poe following, and they climbed the stairs to a two-man special forces TIE fighter.

Poe dropped inside the TIE with a wince, still sore at the torture that had been inflicted on him, and removed the cuffs and his jacket while the trooper sat on the seat with the weapons array. Poe started firing up the ship with a broad grin. He had never flown a TIE fighter before. The one plus side to being captured by the First Order.

"I've always wanted to fly one of these things," he said. "Can you shoot?"

"Blasters, I can!" the trooper answered.

Of course, Poe got the anxiety-ridden stormtrooper that couldn't fly or shoot, but he focused on the positives. They needed to work together to be able to escape unharmed. "Okay, same principal. Use the toggle on the left to switch between missiles, cannons, and mag pulses, use the site on the right to aim, triggers to fire."

"This is very complicated."

That didn't fill Poe up with much hope, but then he flew the TIE forward. It lurched hard, connected to something outside. "I can fix this!" he reassured. Poe tried a few buttons and switches, but none seemed to be what he needed.

The trooper started firing on the troops below them who were started to set up a cannon that would be strong enough to blast the TIE to piece. The trooper didn't like firing on his own brothers and sisters, but if he stayed, if he was caught, he'd be killed. This was about survival. He needed to get gone and the Resistance pilot was his best bet if he wanted to live. And he definitely did. So he kept firing no matter how much it hurt him and the people he had grown up with. He fired at the troopers that were shooting at them. He fired at the parked TIE fighters. He fired at the gun emplacements. And he fired at the control room looking over the hangar bay.

That last one he didn't feel so bad about.

"I got it!" Poe said, and the ship detached from the cable. The TIE fighter jerked forward at high speeds, flying out of the command ship. He looked at the controls amazed. He was flying a TIE! "Woah! This thing really moves." Then he spotted the turrets and cannons dotting the undercarriage of the ship. "Alright, we gotta take out as many of these cannons as we can or we're not gonna get very far."

"Alright!"

"I'm gonna get us in position, just stay sharp!"

Poe arched the ship around and flew through two turrets, closing in on cannons on the ship underbelly. "Up ahead! Up ahead, you see it? I've got us dead centered. It's a clean shot."

"Okay, got it!" the trooper replied. He set the target in the sights and fired. The blasts from the TIE fighter destroyed both cannons. The trooper jumped in his seat, proud of himself for getting a hit on the first try. "Yeah! You see that? Did you see that?" He was extremely good in training with hand-held blasters and rarely missed a target, but that wasn't in a ship or the real deal. That wasn't when it mattered. And when it mattered, he was relieved.

"I saw it!" Poe said with a grin. Maybe the trooper wasn't so bad, just a little young. They took out two more cannons, then the TIE flew out from under the command ship. "Hey, what's your name?"

"FN-2187!"

Poe blinked. "FN-what?"

"That's the only name they ever gave me."

"Well, I ain't using it! FN, huh?" Poe thought for a moment. "Finn. I'm gonna call you Finn. That alright?"

"'Finn'," the trooper repeated with a small smile. "Yeah, 'Finn', I like that!"

"I'm Poe. Poe Dameron."

"Good to meet you, Poe!"

"Good to meet you too, Finn!"

* * *

On the main bridge of the Star Destroyer, General Hux looked out of the bridge windows, his face contorted in anger. Not a soul on the bridge was pleased to be informed of an unsanctioned TIE fighter departure in one of the hangar bays, least of all Hux.

"Sir, they've taken out our turbolasers," Lieutenant Mitaka said from his computer terminal.

"Use the ventral cannons," Hux ordered, walking down the bridge toward the lieutenant.

Mitaka nodded. "Yes, sir. Bringing them online."

Kylo entered the bridge, his boots echoing on the metal flooring. "General Hux," he said, getting the general's attention. Hux turned to see the looming figuring walking over to him. "Is it the Resistance pilot?" He didn't sound pleased in the slightest. And an unhappy Kylo Ren usually spelled disaster for anyone in the vicinity.

"Yes," Hux answered. "And he had help. From one of our own." Hux turned to a screen where a compilation of files was being sorted through. "We're checking the registers now to identify which stormtrooper it was."

But Kylo already knew. "The one from the village. FN-2187."

Hux's expression twisted, showing his unnerved state. He chalked up Kylo's knowledge to his Force ability, but he was wrong. That wasn't how Kylo knew. He had seen the trooper and looked straight at him at the village on Jakku. He had sensed the anxiety and guilt stemming from the soldier. But Kylo had done nothing. He wasn't precisely sure why he hadn't done anything. He had known that something was wrong with the trooper's programming from the moment Kylo laid eyes on him. And there was something else about the trooper, something more elusive.

Then Kylo immediately knew the pilot and the stormtrooper were headed back to Jakku to unite with the Jedi that should have died six years prior.

"Sir," Mitaka said as Kylo left the bridge in a huff. "Ventral cannons hot."

Hux gave the order. "Fire."

* * *

Poe got an alert of warheads coming their way, and he started evasive maneuvers, dodging the heat-seeking missiles as best he could in a ship he wasn't familiar with. "One's coming towards you, my right, your left. Do you see it?"

"Hold on. I see it!" Finn fired at the warhead and hit it dead on.

"Nice shot," Poe praised then started flying down toward the desert planet.

Finn's face dropped when he noticed. "Where are you going?"

"We're going back to Jakku, that's where."

"No, no, no!" Finn shook his head and waved his hand even though Poe couldn't see him. "We can't go back to Jakku! We need to get out of this system!"

"I've got to get to my girl and my droid before the First Order does!" Poe argued, continuing to fly down toward the planet.

Finn balked at his words. "What - a droid?"

"That's right. He's a BB unit, orange and white, one of a kind."

"I don't care what color he is! No droid or-or girl can be that important!"

"They are, pal."

"We need to get as far away from the First Order as we can! We go back to Jakku, we die!"

"They've got a map that leads straight to Luke Skywalker!"

Finn shook his head and threw his hands up. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! I-"

The conversation was abruptly cut off by a warhead hitting one of the wings, and they started spiraling out of control and barreling toward the planet. Poe tried his best to save the ship as best he could, but nothing he tried seemed to give it any stabilization.

The last thing Poe thought of was how Karena would have a field day knowing he had wrecked another ship.

* * *

General Hux and Kylo Ren walked the length of the bridge after receiving word from Supreme Leader Snoke, and as usual, the two were in disagreement. Working so close together would have been far easier if the two didn't hate each other with a burning passion, but neither dropped their disapproval of each other.

A detachment had already been sent down to the planet to check the remains of the crash and search for the defector and missing pilot so that left Hux and Ren at odds once again. It would take a miracle to get them on the same page.

"Supreme Leader Snoke was explicit," Hux said sharply. "Capture the droid and woman if we can, but destroy them if we must." They hadn't told him what was so special about this woman, and it only added to his frustrations. But they hadn't told him in order to avoid her name being plastered on the bounties Hux would be putting out.

"How capable are your soldiers, General?" Kylo asked.

Hux glared at the other man. "I won't have you question my methods."

"They're obviously skilled at committing high treason. Perhaps Leader Snoke should consider using a clone army."

Hux's jaw clenched and unclenched. He hated Kylo to no end, and the Force-user could sense it perfectly, taking pleasure in the fact that he could so easily get under Hux's skin. "My men are exceptionally trained, programmed from birth-"

"Then they should have no problem retrieving them." Kylo leaned in the slightest bit. "Unharmed."

Hux's eyes narrowed. "Careful, Ren," he warned, "that your personal interest not interfere with orders from Leader Snoke."

"I want the woman brought to me alive, so I can kill her myself. For your sake, I suggest you get her."


	17. The Millennium Falcon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you like the chapter!

34 ABY

Karena and the droids spent the night with Rey, and she had unbound Karena from the bar, deeming her not to be much of a potential threat. The orphaned girl apologized for not having any food to spare, but Karena had quickly shut her down, saying she had done plenty to help them already and then pulled out rations that were in a pouch on her belt. Despite the trip having supposed to have been a quick one, there were always things she carried on her belt, such as a small portion of rations. And she shared them with Rey who had never had military rations before. She found them to be a nice change from the usual portions she traded parts for even if they had similar bland tastes.

Karena also watched Rey water and trim the brilliant red and purple flower that was on a shelf nearby. She wondered where the younger girl had gotten a plant on such a hostile planet. And when Rey believed Karena wasn't watching, she dusted off a small doll modeled to look like a Rebellion pilot. The littlest things could bring joy to people.

At one point, when Karena was studying the quarterstaff leaning against the wall, she knew Rey was watching her warily but did nothing as Karena picked up the staff and looked over the components. Rey also eyed the two lightsabers strapped against Karena's back, having noticed them earlier but unsure of what they were. The woman was strange in Rey's eyes, to say the least.

"Did you make this from a pipe?" Karena asked, running her hand over the shaft, yet the pommel at the bottom seemed like it belonged. And upon closer inspection, the top was an old emitter, rusted. It was only missing the attached blade. "Hm, no, vibrostaff. Did you find it on a command ship?"

"Yeah, in an old weapons locker," Rey answered. "Had to pry it open to get inside, so the stash was untouched."

Karena nodded while humming then twirled the old staff in her hands before setting it back down. Rey was surprised at the fluidity of movement and glanced between Karena's retreating figure and the staff, a question passing through her mind. Rey had never gotten formal training with her staff, picking things up here and there as she grew, but Karena certainly had.

Confusion. Doubt. Uncertainty. Hope. All passed through Rey.

Rey shook the thought from her mind and went to her hammock to turn in for the night. Even with the stranger and droids outnumbering her, she didn't feel unsafe around them, so her sleep was peaceful.

When morning arrived, Karena did her best to stretch out her aches and pains, and when Rey handed her the canteen of water to drink, Karena forewent drinking any to use a tiny bit to rinse the wound. The burned skin around the wound from the plasma of the blaster bolt as well as the part of the wound that was scabbing over with dried blood wasn't looking too good. She would need a bacta treatment and antibiotics whenever she could get her hands on them. Karena tore off a piece of her poncho to have a new wrap then left with Rey and the droids once she put the poncho back on.

She was never going to complain about the jungle heat on D'Qar again.

Ducking her head down behind Rey while flying across the sand dunes on a speeder wasn't exactly Karena's idea of a good time, but they eventually arrived outside of Niima Outpost where Karena could hopefully find a place to stay in the hopes that Poe would return, although it seemed unlikely since he had likely been picked up by the First Order, and she wanted to find a way to contact the Resistance.

She always carried a datastick with her to be able to transfer credits from her personal account just in case she found herself stranded. And if she needed to, she could always be a mercenary for hire in order to get her and the droids off the rock.

Rey and Karena hefted BB-8 off the speeder together and set him on the sand. Rey brushed herself off and looked at Karena. "I can show you around a bit, tell you who might help you off Jakku, but I have to trade some things first," she said, jutting her thumb behind her toward the junkyard settlement after grabbed a bag from the speeder.

Karena nodded and thanked her then gestured for the two droids to follow them. Gray sat on her injured shoulder so she was free to use her right side.

BB-8 voiced his reservations as they followed Rey. "Everything will be alright, Bee," Karena tried to reassure.

The three followed Rey toward a concession stand but stood off to the side as Rey did her business with the large dealer. Karena didn't like the look of him nor missed him notice BB-8 beside her. Adjusting her weight and reaching up under her poncho to thumb one of her lightsaber hilts on her back, Karena's eyes darted around, suddenly wary at the dealer's interest and their surroundings.

Rey noticed her change in behavior while pocketing a few portion packs upon returning. "Is everything alright?" she asked, stopping in front of Karena.

Karena watched as the dealer roughly closed the shade to his hut. "Who was that?" Karena gestured to the hut Rey had just left.

"Unkar Plutt," Rey answered. "He's the boss around here. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Let's just say I would feel a lot better far away from this place."

Rey nodded in understanding, recalling what Karena had said about her being a spy. "Then come on. Let's find you passage." A pervasive thought didn't like the idea of them leaving, but she told them she'd help, so she planned on it. Not many people on Jakku kept their word, and Rey wanted to be one of the few that did.

They followed Rey to various tents, trying to find someone who would either escort Karena and the droids off the planet or use a communicator to call for aid, but everyone seemed to avoid speaking to them which didn't calm Karena's unease that had already begun settling in. At least two outright ran away.

They stopped when BB-8 beeped nervously, voicing his concern for Poe. Karena frowned and knelt in front of him while Rey looked on. "I know, Bee," she said quietly, rubbing his head. "I miss him, too."

Rey hadn't gathered much from her time with the droids and strange woman, but she had figured out that BB-8 truly belonged to a man that Karena was also trying to reunite with while Gray, the small seeker droid practically attached at the shoulder, belonged to Karena. She had never seen such an odd grouping on Jakku before and assumed Karena and BB-8's master had gotten separated on whatever mission brought a spy to such a barren planet. And every time Karena mentioned leaving the planet, not waiting but leaving, BB-8 was hesitant and scared but still willing to follow her if she deemed it necessary. It made Rey's heart ache at her own lack of companionship.

 _Perhaps leaving with them wouldn't be too bad_ , Rey thought to herself while watching Karena reassure the round droid. A droid of all things. Karena wasn't reassuring a person but a droid, something most people wouldn't care about or even deem to have feelings. _Maybe she is right about my parents_.

But Rey's thoughts were interrupted by three thugs walking up to them, clearly assuming they could easily handle the two women with ease.

They were wrong.

A hood was thrown over Karena while a large sack was thrown over BB-8 with the third thug grabbing Rey's arm.

The thug behind Karena wrapped his arm around her throat and started pulling her back, so she pulled on his arm, hooked her leg around his, and adjusted her weight to trip him. Once he was on the ground, she twisted his arm as hard as she could, breaking it. Then she pulled the hood off and tossed it aside as the thug cried out in pain and cradled his arm.

A quick glance at Rey hitting her own attacker with the quarterstaff told Karena all she needed to know, so she attacked the thug that was trying to take BB-8 away. She kicked him in the chest and dived right in to strike him with her forearm then opposite fist directly on the side of his head, and he crumpled like nothing.

Karena took a slow breath as the pain returned to her left shoulder as she turned around to see Rey's final strike on the thug that attacked her. "Not bad, kid," she said before kneeling in front of BB-8 and peeling the gross, ratted sack off of him. "You okay, Bee?" He nodded and beeped erratically, peeved at almost being taken again, and Karena patted Gray who had returned to her shoulder, then she looked up at Rey who was a little breathless. "What about you?"

The corner of her mouth twitched up. "I'm alright, thanks," Rey answered. "How's your shoulder?"

"I'll live."

BB-8 started beeping again and both women turned to him, concerned. Rey looked up to see a man standing a short distance away. "Who? Him?" she asked, and Karena followed her gaze to see a man and, more importantly, the jacket he was wearing.

Without another word, Rey started charging toward the stranger who was wearing Poe's jacket. Her sudden enthusiasm for helping them made Karena smile, and she and the droids followed closely behind and watched as Rey slammed her staff against his face. The man fell to the ground.

Rey held her staff menacingly above him as the others joined her. "What's your hurry, thief?" she demanded to know.

"What? Thief?" the man asked, extremely confused and in pain from the hit. BB-8's arc welder popped out and shocked the man in the leg, much to Karena's amusement. She would've felt bad at the pain the droid had inflicted, but she needed to know where the man got the jacket. "Ow! Hey! What?"

"The jacket!" Rey said, getting his attention again. "This droid says you stole it."

He looked up at her indignantly. "I've had a pretty messed up day, alright? So, I'd appreciate it if you stop accusing me- ow!" He looked at BB-8 who had just shocked him again. "Stop it!"

And Karena had had enough. She leaned down and hauled the man up to his feet by the jacket and slammed him against the stack of crates which shook at the sudden hit. Her eyes darkened as she glowered at him. "I don't care what kind of day you've been having," she told him, her voice low. "This jacket doesn't belong to you, so tell me where you got it before I pry it off your cold, dead body."

Rey's eyes widened in shock and she glanced at BB-8 who had rolled back a foot and also tilted his head to look up at her. Both were shocked at the sudden change in disposition. But Gray hovered next to Rey watching his owner do what she did best. And none of the other people in the settlement who had noticed the exchange seemed to care much as scraps were a normal, day-to-day thing.

The realization suddenly donned on the man as he looked between the scary woman and the BB unit, and he sighed. The pilot he had escaped the First Order with and who had given him the name 'Finn' mentioned returning to a girl and droid. He didn't think he'd be attacked by them.

"It belonged to Poe Dameron," he said. "That was his name, right?" Karena's grip on the jacket tightened. "Woah, hey, okay! He was captured. . . by the First Order! I helped him escape, but our ship crashed." His face fell as he relived the memory in his mind. The heat of the fire. The throbbing pain in his head. The sand flying fifty-feet into the air. "Poe didn't make it." He noticed her start to shake her head. "Look, I tried to help him."

Finn moved the slightest bit toward her, hoping to no longer be pinned against the crates, but Karena shoved him right back against them. "Where?"

"I-I don't know! Somewhere in the desert, but nothing remained of the ship. It sunk in the sand and exploded. I couldn't find him anywhere, and the only thing I found was his jacket." Her hands slowly released the jacket, and he looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Karena," Rey said, concern seeping in as she watched the woman take a few steps back. BB-8 had already rolled off to the side with his head hanging low at the new information, but Karena was still processing it right before Rey's eyes.

Karena slowly moved, a mix of anger and despair clouding her mind. Rey called out for her again, but she didn't hear the scavenger's voice. Poe's smiling face was the last thought that flashed through her mind before she cried out and slammed her fist against one of the crates next to Finn's head, the metal quivering against her knuckles. Then she stepped back, turned around, and slid down to the ground, her chest heaving painfully and eyes strained.

She never got to tell him she loved him. And the last things that remained of him were his droid, his ship, and his jacket.

His jacket.

Karena's eyes flitted up to the stranger and he flinched, scared she was going to attack him again. Something about the stranger seemed familiar. On par with the familiarity she felt with Rey. He was Force-sensitive, too. And the clothing he wore beside the jacket was all black and regulation. There was no formal military or militia on Jakku, but there was the First Order Star Destroyer that Poe would have been brought to, and that was filled with military personnel. And if he had been part of the First Order who recruited their soldiers as children and brainwashed them, his Force-sensitivity would explain how he was able to defect since the Force made people more resilient to brainwashing.

"You're a stormtrooper, aren't you?" she asked. Finn swallowed and glanced between her and Rey, scared to answer, but she knew. "No Resistance member would have made it here in the time I've been in this outpost, and no one else would have been able to get a distress signal out beside me and the droids. You defected."

"I. . ." Finn slowly nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

He hesitated to answer but did so anyway. "I showed signs of non-conformity." The First Order didn't like what they couldn't control.

"What does that mean?" Rey asked.

Karena picked herself up off the ground. "It means he's on the run, and troopers will be here soon to get us." She faced the defector as Gray settled on her shoulder again, and she reached up to pet him as she spoke. "Did Dameron tell you anything?"

"That the droid is apparently carrying a map that leads to Luke Skywalker," he answered, "and everyone's after it."

"Luke Skywalker?" Rey repeated in awe. "I thought he was a myth."

Before anyone could say anything, particularly Karena with her annoyance at the mysticism surrounding her father, BB-8 rolled back to them, beeping madly about something he had seen.

"Slow down, Bee," Karena requested. "What is it?" She moved to follow him as he told her about the stormtroopers. She looked up as the other two joined them, and they all spotted two stormtroopers talking to the thugs that had jumped them earlier. The thugs pointed their way. Despite everything, Karena liked how one was clutching his broken arm and another was holding the side of his head.

Finn grabbed Rey's hand and she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Come on!" he said, pulling her behind him.

The group raced out of the tent as blaster bolts zipped by them. They zigzagged through tents as they ran.

"Come on, Bee!" Karena called behind her, glancing back at the droid who could only roll so fast. Gray was clinging to the fabric of her poncho as best he could without flying off.

Rey tore her hand from Finn's grip while they ran. "I know how to run without you holding my hand! This way!" Rey led them to a tent and they ducked inside. "They're shooting at all of us."

"It's because they saw you with us," Karena said. "They think you're part of the Resistance."

"Well, thanks for that."

"I'm not the one who chased you down with a stick!" Finn argued while looking around the tent. "Does anyone have blasters around here?"

"Are you okay?" Rey asked BB-8.

Finn moved back to the others, quieting them with a gesture as he heard something outside. Karena listened in as well and heard the tell-tale sounds of TIE fighters. They called in an airstrike.

Right after they dashed out of the tent, a TIE blasted the tent and they were all thrown into the air and hit the ground hard. Karena groaned as she rolled over, clutching her left arm with the sand settling around them. "Bee! Gray!" she called. BB-8 righted himself and Gray popped up out of the pile of sand that had covered him. Karena breathed a sigh of relief and turned to see Rey by the defector they had met.

His eyes were dazed as he came to, but they focused on Rey and he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered after a brief pause. She held out her hand for him to take. "Follow me."

The group climbed to their feet and they followed Rey. She led them to an area marked as a spaceport, and Karena slid to a stop in the sand at the sight of one of the ships. Rey and Finn were clearly running to a smaller one, but Karena changed directions to the one that had caught her eye. The one that she used to play in as a child.

The _Millennium Falcon_.

Using the Force, Karena grabbed BB-8 and pushed him in the direction of the freighter, having a feeling the other two would catch up once the TIEs were done circling around with a path of destruction.

BB-8 beeped in disgruntled confusion as he was suddenly rolling toward the open boarding ramp of a light freighter but Karena bounded up the ramp with Gray flying behind her, so he followed them inside after a last look at the scavenger and defector. Then a TIE blew up the quadjumper they were running toward.

Karena sat down in the pilot's seat and told Gray, "Help me start her up, buddy." Gray beeped excitedly, having not seen the ship in years either, and started flipping various switches to help his owner.

"Gunner position's down there!" Karena heard Rey yell.

When Rey joined Karena in the cockpit, Karena said, "About time. Let's get out of here. Shields up." She pointed at a button on the far right dashboard before lifting the ship into the air. Rey hesitated but shook herself out of the stupor and pressed the button to start up the shields as well as a few other switches. "You ever flown before?"

"Speeders," Rey answered. "And I've studied the controls of ships."

"Close enough," Karena answered. The ship tilted to the side, struggling to rise. "Kriff, stabilizers." Rey quickly found the corresponding switch and the ship steadied as it rose again and flew off into the air. "Landing." Rey hit another switch, the landing mechanisms closing. She wasn't kidding when she said she had studied it, just never flown it. Nothing better than learning by doing.

They then heard Finn try and tell them something, and Rey called out, "What?"

His voice crackled into the comms, having found the headset and put it on. "Stay low! It confuses their tracking!"

"I don't care about their tracking, I'm trying to leave," Karena muttered to herself but realized she should follow his advice until the ship was in proper working order again. It wouldn't last with two fully-functional TIE fighters if she couldn't control it. "Fine! Everyone better be buckled in! This is going to be a bumpy ride!"

She banked in an upward arc then swooped down low across the sand. The two TIEs flew right past them. The TIEs turned back around and started shooting at the _Falcon_ , and Karena did her best to avoid the hits since she didn't know how the shields would hold up. By the look of the ship, it hadn't flown in years, but some of its gimmicks and hiccups were still the same.

Karena narrowly avoided a blast from a TIE only to get hit by the other one. The ship rocked as they flew. "Blast!"

"What are you doing back there?" Rey asked through comms. "Are you ever going to fight back?"

"I'm working on it! Are the shields up?"

"They're at maximum," Karena answered, banking right. "But it won't matter unless you shoot them back." Then finally the TIEs began getting fired at. The shots missed, but it was better than nothing and made it more difficult for the TIEs to get a clear shot.

"There's cover coming up quick," Rey said. She pointed toward the glass window, drawing Karena's eyes to a black mass in the distance. "It's a ship graveyard. Should be plenty of cover there. Might be able to lose them."

"Alright, hang on." Karena jerked the ship forward at full speed and banked around a sand dune, turning to see a downed Star Destroyer up ahead. The air was tense as Karena navigated the ship graveyard. She dared to fly close to one of the down Star Destroyers, but the TIEs avoided hitting anything as well.

Then the defector finally hit one, the TIE crashing to the ground amid the debris. "Nice shot!" Rey told him.

"Don't get cocky!" Karena warned. "There's still one more." She had an idea as they neared one of the larger ships. "Get ready!"

"For what?"

She didn't answer him. "Rey, watch power levels. For this to work, we can't stall." Karena arched the ship left, weaving through a short tunnel of debris then yanked the yoke to sharply turn upward once out of the tunnel, banking upward then diving back down. Rey hit the boosters when the levels began to drop, and they were now behind the last TIE and gaining.

Finn lined the TIE up in his sights and fired. It exploded, pieces of it scattering across the sand.

Rey hopped up in her seat with a large grin, Finn cheered in the gunner port, and Karena flew the ship up into the sky, flying away from the ship graveyard. "Input coordinates a few parsecs away," Karena told Rey. "No planets or systems, just dead space."

"Where are we going?" Rey asked before she moved.

"We need to leave the planet before the First Order can send more TIEs after us." She then spoke through the comms. "We're jumping to hyperspace, so stay strapped in. We won't be in it for more than a few minutes."

"Got it!" Finn replied.

Rey looked apprehensive at leaving but input the coordinates in the navi-computer anyway. When the hyperdrive was primed and ready to go, the ship jumped to lightspeed.

"Are you okay?" Karena asked, leaning back in the pilot seat and looking over at Rey.

"I've never left Jakku before," she said slowly, picking at her clothing. "At least, not that I can remember. It feels. . . strange."

"A good strange, or a bad strange?"

Rey took a moment to think before picking her head up to look at Karena. "I'm not sure yet."

Karena nodded. "Well, if you decide to go back to Jakku, I'll personally fly you there. But until then, we need to run diagnostics on the ship." She picked herself up from the chair, wincing at the tinge of pain in her shoulder. "Take Gray with you to run diagnostics after you take the ship out of hyperspace. I'm going to look for medical supplies."

"Wait, Karena?" Rey said before Karena walked out of the cockpit. She turned around to look at Rey and hear what she wanted to say. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"No one's ever trusted me with anything other than scavenging."

The corner of Karena's mouth picked up as she looked at the young girl. "It's no problem. We've all got to start somewhere. But you might want to start letting go of the past. You've taken your first step into a larger world, so don't hold yourself back." Then Karena walked out into the hall. If she remembered correctly, basic medical supplies were usually kept in a cubby the main hold. She passed by BB-8 as she went who followed her.

Karena dug around and found a med-kit then sat down right before she felt the ship exit hyperspace. She took off her poncho, exposing her shoulder, and BB-8 beeped sadly. "Thanks, Bee, but I'll be okay," she told him, pulling out a small tube of bacta ointment. Before she opened it, she looked directly at the droid. "I'm sorry about Poe." He rolled toward her and leaned against her leg. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying then started smearing some of the bacta ointment on her wound.

She heard Rey and Finn meet up just outside the main hold, chatting animatedly together, both excited at having successfully destroyed the TIEs that were hassling them. Karena couldn't make out much of anything they were saying, but she smiled, them reminding her of her and Kelin when they were younger, particularly when they had completed their Jedi training.

Then they noticed her sitting nearby. "That doesn't look so good," the defector said.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," Karena replied, her expression blank. He leaned back, ducking his head. "Have you given yourself a name?"

"What?" Rey asked.

"First Order stormtroopers aren't given names," Karena quickly explained. "They're only given numbers. But he's defected, so he needs a name."

"Poe called me 'Finn'," he answered fondly. "Said he wasn't going to use the number. And I-I like it." He half-shrugged. "What about you?" He looked at her and Rey.

"I'm Rey," she answered with a smile. "That's Karena." She nodded toward the woman who had started using a wrap to cover the wound. "And BB-8 and Gray." She gestured to the droids respectively.

"Are you all with the Resistance?"

Rey quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, no. Just them. I should probably be getting back to Jakku soon."

Finn groaned and slouched. He had just about had enough of Jakku. Even hearing about the planet was getting on his nerves. "Why does everyone want to go back to Jakku?"

Before Rey could reply, steam burst from under a grating, causing them all to jump in alarm. Rey hurried over, saying, "Help me with this! Quick!"

Finn followed her and helped her pick up the grate, setting it to the side. "What's going on?" he asked as she hopped down into the space.

The emergency alarm started blaring, and Karena stood and grabbed a storage box, bringing it over. Rey's head popped up. "It's the motivator. Grab me a Harris wrench." Karena picked it up out of the storage box and handed it to her. Rey ducked back down.

"How long do you think this will take?" Finn wondered, mildly panicking. "They're out there looking for us right now. We didn't jump very far away."

"If it's the motivator, it's more important," Karena said, grabbing a pilex driver. She held it out for Rey as she poked at her head again. Rey paused in surprise but didn't question it, grabbing the tool from Karena and ducking back down again. "If it isn't patched up, the propulsion tank will overflow and flood the ship with poisonous gas."

"Exactly," Rey said from below. "Bonding tape, please!" Karena grabbed it and stuck it in Rey's hand which was sticking out. A few seconds later, the alarm and steam stopped. Rey stood up, a little breathless. "That should hold for now but it needs to be replaced."

Karena chuckled and shook her head. "This ship is older than you and me combined. Everything needs to be replaced. We should probably start that diagnostics check though to make sure nothing else is ready to explode before we go jump to hyperspace again." She stood up and held out her good arm for Rey to take, helping the girl out of the pit.

Then the power went out, the red emergency lights coming on to provide light. Karena glanced around, confused. She hadn't sensed any hostility and the Force didn't warn her about anything. But what else could be happening other than the First Order having found them?

"That can't be good," Finn said.

"No, it can't be," Rey agreed.

All three went to the cockpit, the droids trailing behind. Karena and Rey slid into the pilot and copilot seat, Finn standing between them. Karena tried a few buttons on the dash, but nothing worked. "Someone's locked onto us," she said. "All controls are overridden."

They looked up at the sound of a loud thud around them. Finn climbed onto the instrument panel, peeking his head out to try and get a look above them.

"See anything?" Rey asked.

"Oh, no," he mumbled, watching as a massive, dark freighter with red lights began collecting them in a giant hangar. He turned to the women. "It's the First Order." It didn't sit right with Karena but Finn's fear was real. He climbed down from the dash.

"What do we do?" Rey asked. "There must be something."

Something clicked for Finn, and he looked at Karena. "You said poisonous gas."

"Rey fixed that," she pointed out.

"Can it be unfixed?"

Rey jumped from her seat, rushing back to the grate that they had left open and grabbing a breath mask as she went. The other two followed close behind, grabbing masks as well. They tossed the masks into the open grate, and Karena and Finn hopped down. The three struggled to lift BB-8 down, but once he was inside, Rey grabbed the grate, pulling it closer as Karena began undoing the patch-job on the motivator. There weren't many times she had to undo a repair job.

The grate closed just as the lights of the ship came on, and Rey asked, "You think this'll work on the stormtroopers?"

"Yeah, their masks filter out smoke, not toxins," Finn answered. He lifted the grate just enough to see out of it as the boarding ramp began lowering. "Hurry!"

"This isn't as easy as you think," Karena snapped, fingers twitching as she started unbinding the tape. She heard the main hatch door open then a familiar voice. Her hands came to a stop. She perked up when she heard a Wookiee's howl. "Chewie?" Both Rey and Finn's heads snapped toward her, but she ignored them, pushing up the grate as she tossed aside the mask. She was right.

Standing in the hall stood Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca.


	18. The Smuggler and the Wookiee

34 ABY

Standing in the hall stood Han Solo and his Wookiee companion Chewbacca.

Karena's jaw dropped at the sight of them. The last she had seen either of them was after the destruction of the temple on Yavin IV. It had been years without seeing them, without hearing a peep, not even a message or a rumor about either of them. And there they both stood, shocked at the sight of her as well.

"Karena?" Han said. Chewie let out a happy bark as he took long strides over and lifted the grate. Gray immediately soared up, beeping excitedly as he circled Chewie and then Han. "And Gray, of course."

Karena was about to speak when Chewie reached down and hauled her out of the pit. She let out a squeak as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's good to see you too, Chewie," she mumbled into his fur, trying not to accidentally eat any of it. "But you're kinda choking me." Chewie howled quietly, apologizing, and let her go. She smiled up at him and turned to her uncle. "Hey, Uncle Han."

"Looks like you got to the _Falcon_ before we did, kid," he said with a soft smirk. "Where'd you find her?"

Both Rey and Finn looked confused as they cautiously climbed out, but Rey answered his question. "The spaceport at Niima Outpost."

"Jakku? That junkyard?"

"Thank you!" Finn said then looked at Rey. "Junkyard." Rey gaped at him, offended.

Han turned to Chewie. "Told you we should've double-checked the Western Reaches." He turned back to Rey. "Who had it, Ducain?"

Rey shook her head. "No, we took it from Unkar Plutt. He stole it from the Irving Boys who stole it from Ducain."

"Who stole it from me," Han finished gruffly. "Well, you tell him Han Solo just stole back the _Millennium Falcon_ for good." Rey gaped as Han waved Karena over. "Come here, kid. It's been too long." He pulled her into a hug. It had been six years since they had last seen each other, and it felt good to have her uncle back. She wondered what Leia would think.

When Karena pulled back from the hug, she gestured to the others. "This is Rey and Finn."

Rey couldn't contain her excitement anymore. "This is the _Millennium Falcon_?" she asked, beaming from ear to ear. "You're Han Solo?"

"I used to be," he said, walking away toward the cockpit. The ship was finally back in his possession. He'd be damned if he didn't make sure it was still in working order.

"Han Solo?" Finn repeated. "The Rebellion General?"

"No, the smuggler!" Rey said.

Finn looked up at Chewie. "Wasn't he a war hero?" Chewie shrugged with a quiet growl, and Karena snorted at his casual response.

"This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs!" Rey called out, looking off toward the hall that led to the cockpit.

"Twelve!" Han corrected.

Rey turned to Karena. "Your uncle is Han Solo?"

"He's more of an annoying nerf-herder than a hero to be revered, but yeah," Karena said. Chewie barked out a laugh.

"Hey!" Han yelled out, disgruntled at something he found in the cockpit, but thankfully for Karena, he hadn't heard her little insult. He stomped back into the main hold. "Some moof-milker put a compressor on the ignition line."

"Unkar Plutt did," Rey told him. "I thought it was a mistake too, puts too much-"

"-stress on the hyperdrive," Rey and Han said together.

Han studied her for a moment then looked at his niece. "Where can I drop you all off? Where's your ship?"

"On D'Qar."

Han frowned at her answer. "What? No, I ain't going there. I'm not being roped into another rebellion."

"Resistance," Karena quickly corrected. "The First Order hasn't taken over the galaxy yet. We need to get to the Resistance base as soon as possible." Han threw his hands up, walking away with every intention of returning to the cockpit to undo the compressor.

But Finn's words stopped him. "The droid is carrying a map to Luke Skywalker." Finn noticed his pause. "You are the Han Solo that fought with the Rebellion." Han, with a long face, faced the group again. "You knew him."

Han's eyes met Karena's, thinking of all the memories he had with her father. "Yeah, I knew him. I knew Luke." A distant metallic thunk caught the group's attention. Han's expression fell. "Don't tell me a rathtar's gotten loose."

Both Karena and Finn's eyes widened as everyone followed Han out of the _Falcon_ onto the larger freighter that had taken it in. "Wait," Finn called after them. They passed BB-8 hauling himself out of the grating area by his grappling cables. "A what? Did you just say rathtars?" They stopped behind Han who moved to a control panel. "You're not hauling rathtars on this freighter, are you?"

"I'm hauling rathtars," Han answered simply.

"Why?" Karena asked.

Han didn't answer, looking at the images on the screens in front of him where a transport ship was landing on the freighter. "Oh, great. It's the Guavian Death Gang. They must've tracked us from Nantoon."

"What's a rathtar?" Rey asked as Han led the group down a long narrow hall lined with cargo containers.

"They're big and dangerous," Han said.

"You ever heard of the Trillia Massacre?" Finn asked her.

"No," she answered, shaking her head.

"Good."

They turned down a corner as Han said, "I got three of 'em going to King Prana."

"Three?" Finn repeated incredulously. "How'd you get them on board?"

"I imagine Chewie did most of the work," Karena remarked with a grin.

Han gave her a haphazard glare. "We used to have a bigger crew." Chewie concurred with a howl. Han pointed to Rey and Finn as Chewie opened a hatch on the floor. "You two get below deck and stay there until I say so." He looked at Karena. "You're staying with me, so I know you won't run off with the _Falcon_."

"What about BB-8?" Rey asked.

"The droids stay with us until I get rid of the gang."

Karena rolled her eyes as Gray beeped in amusement. "You mean until I get rid of the gang."

Han was about to argue but Finn cut in first. "What about the rathtars? Where are you keeping them?" A loud thud directly next to them made them jump. A slimy part of a monster pressed against the window.

"There's one," Han said.

"What are you gonna do?" Rey asked as Finn started climbing down through the hatch.

"Same thing I always do: talk my way out of it." Chewie howled at him, calling him out on the bantha shit Han had spouted. "Yes, I do. Every time." He closed the hatch after Rey climbed down.

Karena wanted to say something, to call him out, call his bluff because everyone knew he was talking nonsense, but she kept quiet and followed her uncle and Chewie toward the airlock. They stopped in the hall when a hatch down a narrow corridor opened to reveal six people, a human male carrying a blaster rifle and five masked security officers flanking him. They walked into the corridor, staring down Han, Chewie, and Karena.

"Han Solo," the man greeted with an accent characteristic of the Core Worlds. "You are a dead man."

BB-8 nervously rolled behind Karena's legs, peeking out to look at the Guavian Death Gang, and Gray sat on her shoulder, antsy at the situation.

Han innocently smiled. "Bala-Tik, what's the problem?"

Bala-Tik glared at the smuggler. "The problem is we loaned you fifty thousand for this job." Karena's eyebrows raised as she looked at her uncle, who avoided her gaze. "I heard you also borrowed fifty thousand from Kanjiklub."

"You know you can't trust those little freaks," Han said. "How long have we known each other?"

"The question is how much longer will we know each other. Not long. We want our money back now."

"You think hunting rathtars is cheap?" Han asked. "I spent that money."

"Kanjiklub wants their investment back too."

"I never made a deal with Kanjuklub!"

"Tell that to Kanjiklub."

Behind them, a hatch slid open at the other end of the narrow hall. Karena's jaw twitched as she turned, wondering just what her uncle had gotten himself into. And by extension, her. Another group, Kanjiklub, entered the hall, two human male members out front, one standing taller than the others and one with long hair who looked to be in charge.

"Tasu Leech, good to see you," Han greeted nonchalantly, trying to play off the tension.

" _Wrong again, Solo. It's over for you_ ," the leader said in a different language.

Karena leaned closer to Chewie and quietly asked, "Is that Jablogian?" The language sounded familiar, but she didn't know what was precisely said. The only thing she could determine with confidence was that Tasu Leech was not happy with Han. Chewie shrugged, not knowing either. But Han seemed to understand the gang leader.

Han stood off to the side, looking back and forth between the gangs on either end of the corridor. "You're both gonna get what I promised. Have I ever not delivered for you before?"

"Yeah," Bala-Tik answered.

" _Twice!_ " Tasu Leech snapped.

Han held up his fingers, trying to remember, and looked up at Chewie at his side who nodded. The old smuggler looked back at Tasu Leech. "What was the second time?"

"Your game is old," Bala-Tik said. "There's no one in the galaxy left for you to swindle."

" _Nowhere left for you to hide_ ," Tasu Leech added.

Bala-Tik's eyes drifted down to the droid hiding behind Karena. "That BB unit. . . the First Order is looking for one just like it. And three fugitives, only one of whom is required alive." Rather than look at Han, he looked at Karena as he adjusted his grip on his rifle.

Han looked to his niece as well, determining the same thing Bala-Tik had. Finn and Rey were expendable. They were a simple bonus but not the real prize, not what the true bounty was for. The First Order wanted Karena and the droid, and if they wanted her alive, then it was Kylo Ren who had given the order.

"You're not taking me alive," Karena said, her voice ringing out.

"We'll see."

Right as Bala-Tik raised his rifle, Karena threw her hands up and cried out, Force pushing both gangs. The gang members flew back, hitting the walls and floors of the ship.

"Come on!" Karena called, waving for them to follow her, but they didn't get very far down a different corridor before the overhead lights of the ship went off and the emergency lights turned on. They stopped and looked around, hearing an echo of creatures. Karena looked at her uncle. "I got a bad feeling about this." A few seconds later they had something large coming their way.

"Run!" Han yelled.

The group raced down the hall and Karena glanced back as they ran only to see a rathtar roar and roll their way. Karena used the Force to repulse the creature, sending it in the opposite direction. Han punched a Kanjiklub gang member that came around the corner and tossed him to the side to keep running.

They made it to the locked cargo bay door with gang members at the other end of the hall, cornering them, and Karena did what she had been avoiding. She unsheathed one of her sabers. The brilliant teal bathed the area in the light as she blocked blaster shots from the gangs as her uncle worked on the door. When the door opened, they hurried inside, and Karena sheathed her lightsaber. Han pressed a button on the control panel as he passed, and the main hangar bay doors began opening in front of them so they could fly away.

Finn and Rey came running up to them as they all hurried to the _Falcon_. "You, close the door behind us," Han said, gesturing to the two trailing behind them. Han and Chewie went straight to the cockpit, and Finn closed the loading ramp.

Han and Chewie slid into the pilot and copilot seats, already flipping switches and pushing buttons to start up the ship as though they had never left, and Rey pointed at the dash. "Unkar Plutt installed a fuel pump," she said. "If that isn't primed, we're not going anywhere."

Karena made a quiet humming noise. At least now she knew what the hell Rey was pressing when they were taking off from Jakku.

"I hate that guy," Han said, and Chewie howled his displeasure and primed the fuel pump. "Take your seats, and Chewie, watch the thrust. We're going out of here at lightspeed."

Karena, Finn, and Rey sat down in the crew chairs, and Rey asked, "From inside the hangar? Is that even possible?"

"I never ask that question until after I've done it." The group jumped as a rathtar jumped onto the windshield and began chewing on the glass. "This is not how I thought this day was gonna go. Angle the deflector shields, and hang on!" The ship jolted as it was hit by blaster fire in the hangar. "Come on baby, don't let me down." He pulled the lever for hyperspace, but nothing happened.

"Compressor," Rey pitched in.

Han grumbled to himself, seriously hating Unkar Plutt, and hit a switch. The hyperdrive activated, propelling the ship forward. The rathtar was torn to bits and the gang members in the cargo bay were blasted back. The ship entered hyperspace, disappearing in a streak and leaving the large freighter behind.

Han leaned back with a sigh of relief and a cocky smirk. "I knew it would work," he said. Then alarms started blaring and Chewie had to muffle his laughter. Han pointed to the electrical panel right behind Chewie. "Electrical overload."

"I've got it," Karena said, jumping up from her seat behind Chewie. Reaching up and opening the electrical panel, she began rewiring the panel, her fingers getting zapped every few seconds.

"The coolant's leaking," he grumbled. "I'll try transferring auxiliary power to the secondary tank." He flipped a few switches and prayed it worked. It seemed to. "Is anything not broken?"

"Doubt it," Karena said. "Chewie, give me your hand." He reached behind him, and she grabbed his hand, maneuvering it so he was holding a few of the wires she had kept undone and making sure the tips didn't touch. "Don't move." He quietly growled in understanding as she left the panel and ducked down beneath the instrument panel.

"What are you doing?" Han asked. "If this hyperdrive blows, there's gonna be pieces of us in three different systems."

"The compressor is the problem," Karena answered, using the Force to unscrew the bottom of the dash. "Bypassing it would cause the hyperdrive to blow just as keeping it in will, so it needs to be taken out. It isn't doing anything other than causing problems." She followed the compressor wire that was sticking out up top to find the compressor below on the ignition line and quickly got to taking it out, making sure not to mess with any of the systems that were keeping them in hyperspace. "Rey, you see the wires Chewie's holding?"

Rey hopped up and went over to the electrical panel. "Yes. I need to cross them, right?"

"Yeah, just wait for one. . . second." Karena gently pulled out the compressor. "Okay, now!"

Rey crossed the wires in the electrical panel, cutting out a defective section, and the alarms stopped blaring overhead.

Finn glanced around. "We won't explode now, right?"

Karena pushed herself out from underneath the dash and held up the small technical device that had caused them far too many issues. "We should be okay. But the ignition line will need work when we land to be able to take off again." She set it down on the floor beside her.

Han made a small noise and nodded then patted her on the shoulder. He stood from his seat and left the cockpit. Finn looked at the door, confused, then turned to Karena and Chewie.

Karena shrugged and shook her head. "He takes some getting used to. A little rough around the edges." She got off the floor, scratched Chewie on his head for a moment, then left the cockpit for the main hold. The others slowly began following as well.

Han was standing at the computer terminal in the main hold, and when he heard footsteps, he turned and said, "So, fugitives, huh?"

Finn and Rey sat down on the couch behind the dejarik table while Karena answered, "The First Order wants the map. BB-8 and I got it from Lor San Tekka on Jakku where we ran into some. . . problems." Her eyes were downturned at the thought of Poe. She hadn't had the time to fully sit and process it with everything going it, but it made her torn between strangling something and breaking down in tears. But she couldn't. They had a mission to complete.

"Yeah, what else is new?" Han asked sardonically. He gestured to Finn and Rey. "What about you two?"

"I'm just a scavenger," Rey said. "But Finn defected from the First Order."

Han's eyebrows twitched up the slightest bit. "Really? Hm." He looked to BB-8. "Let's see whatcha got."

BB-8 tilted his head up to Karena, silently asking if it was okay for him to show the map, and Karena nodded. "It's alright, Bee. These are safe hands."

BB-8 rolled to the center of the main hold and projected the holographic map, filling the room with blue light and holographic planets, stars, and systems. Rey stood up, staring at the map in awe with wide eyes. Karena inched closer, her eyes following an orange path to a stop. There it was, the map to what her father had been searching for.

"This map's not complete," Han said. "It's just a piece." He sighed, putting his hands on his waist. "Ever since Luke disappeared, people have been looking for him."

"Why'd he leave?" Rey wondered.

Han glanced at Karena then looked away, and Karena ducked her head, folding her arms over her stomach as she recalled the terrible night. "He was training a new generation of Jedi," he explained. "One boy, an apprentice, turned against him, destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible. . . He walked away from everything."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Finn asked.

"There're a lot of rumors. Stories. The people who knew him the best think he went looking for the first Jedi temple."

The corners of Rey's mouth twitched up, recalling the few stories she had heard over the years about a mystical group of people. "The Jedi were real?"

Han slowly turned around, still studying the map. "I used to wonder that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. Magical power holding together good, evil, the dark side, and the light." He turned back to them. "Crazy thing is, it's true. The Force, the Jedi, all of it. It's all true." His gaze landed on his niece. "Do you want to show them?"

Tentative eyes peeked up, then Karena reached around and unhooked one of her sabers from the back of her belt. They had gotten that far, and she needed to embrace it as things were coming to a head. She held the lightsaber hilt out in front of her and used the Force to lift it into the air for Finn, Rey, and BB-8 to see. The droid cut off the hologram, his photoreceptor focusing on the small display of Force power. He had seen the gangs fly back earlier but didn't know what it was. Finn and Rey both stared, shock taking over their expressions.

"You're a Jedi?" Rey asked. It was a strange day for her indeed. Her first time meeting a Resistance fighter or First Order trooper. Her first time leaving Jakku in years. Her first time flying a ship. And now, her first time meeting a Jedi.

"Is that why the First Order wants you alive?" Finn added.

The lightsaber returned to Karena's hand. "They want me alive because my last name's Skywalker." BB-8 squealed in surprise, backing up in surprise. "I'm Luke's daughter."

"So you're trying to find your father," Rey said. Karena's story during their first conversation made a lot more sense to her and was a lot more impactful than before.

Karena nodded. "He went missing six years ago, and everyone's been trying to find him since." She smiled at BB-8. "And now we have a chance." She tossed up her saber and caught it again, staring at the durasteel hilt. She remembered the day she had crafted it, her father looking over her shoulder and providing her and Kelin tips. The symbol of a Jedi's commitment. He had taken his own with him, so she hoped despite everything that he was still the man she remembered. "Whether he wants to be found or not."

* * *

About an hour later, Finn, Rey, and Chewie were playing dejarik, the droids were charging, and Karena and Han were working together on a few minor repairs that were able to be worked on while in hyperspace. The uncle and niece worked mostly in silence. Unlike the silence Karena had grown used to when working beside Poe or her brother, the silence between her and Han was uncomfortable, filled with years of being apart as well as Karena's thoughts creeping up on her.

Han watched as her hand slipped when tightening a bolt and she winced and tightened her grip on the wrench in anger. "You okay, kid?" he asked, lowering the pilex driver he was using.

"I'm fine," she muttered, tightening the bolt some more, ignoring the soaring pain in her shoulder. The bacta ointment had done a little to help heal the wound, but the blaster bolt had dug deep in the muscle. It needed more than a bit of first aid.

"No, you're not. What's eating at you?" He decided not to touch on the wound that was plain as day as he knew a simple injury wasn't what was bothering her. The injury was only worsening her frustrations.

"Why do you care?" Karena snapped at him, her gaze hard and her voice clipped. "You ran away just like Dad did, and you tried to drop me almost right away." She turned back to her work. "You returned to smuggling, leaving the rest of us behind, and you're going to do it again the moment this ship leaves hyperspace. Don't think I didn't notice you not telling us the coordinates you inputted into the navi-computer. So, go ahead and go back to being a smuggler while the rest of us try to make a difference."

"I was smuggling only to pay the bills."

Karena paused with her hands on either side of the generator in front of her. "What?"

Han sighed and leaned against the wall. "We weren't only smuggling," he said gruffly. He hated having to explain himself, but he hated people hating him even more, especially the people he cared about even if he didn't show his love as often as he should have. "We've been looking for them. _Both_ of them. And causing issues for the First Order." His head lowered, thinking of the day he had lost everyone except Chewie. "Leia was completely focused on the Resistance after everything, so since I couldn't get through to her, I thought maybe Chewie and I could find them and bring them home. Then the _Falcon_ was taken and it only got more complicated."

Karena faced him. "Why didn't you tell us? I would have understood. They would have, too."

He shook his head. "I doubt Leia would've listened. She's always been too hard-headed. And Kelin didn't seem to want to find or have anything to do with your dad. You. . . I wasn't going to tell you something that would separate you and your brother. I know you would've come with me. But you were where you needed to be. You found the map that will hopefully lead you to your dad." That wasn't what she wanted to hear. Tears pricked at her eyes and she folded her arms around herself, looking away. Han's face dropped at the reaction. He wasn't good with tears. "Kid, what is it?"

"I didn't find the map."

"What do you mean? Your droid has it."

"BB-8 isn't my droid, though he might be now." A sharp breath left her as the tears finally breached, a few falling down her cheeks. She couldn't take it anymore. "Finn defected with the help of Bee's owner, but he-he didn't. . ."

"He didn't make it," Han supplied gently.

Karena nodded, wiping at her eyes with shaky hands. "I didn't get to tell him. . . I didn't tell him I love him."

"Oh, kid." Han collected her in his arms, hand on the back of her head as she broke down, crying into his shoulder. He didn't say anything at first, just slowly setting his head down on hers as she cried, but he couldn't help but wish Kaleena was there. She would know what to do. Or even Luke who should've been there comforting his daughter. Or hell, Boba would be able to handle it better, and he still couldn't stand the bounty hunter, so it physically hurt him to admit Boba would be better at something.

But it was just Han. Just Han. "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head. "Do you want to break something?"

That got her to hiccup, almost laughing, and she pulled out of the hug. "What?"

"Your mom broke the refresher mirror when grieving." He half-shrugged, still a little uncomfortable with the tears. "Just thought you might feel like doing the same."

Karena lifted her right hand, showing him reddened skin covering her knuckles from when she punched the metal crate just over two hours prior. "I already hit something. Scared the piss out of Finn." A gruff chuckle escaped despite Han trying not to, but she laughed too, rubbing the back of her hand. "But thank you." Even though she knew her uncle was uncomfortable, his ability to make her laugh helped. It was only a tiny bit, but the reaction was so Uncle Han, and that was comforting enough for the time being.

They heard footsteps nearby and turned to see Rey walk into the doorway. "Sorry to in-" She cut herself off, Rey's expression pinching in concern as she looked at Karena's tear-stained cheeks. "Are you alright?"

Karena tried for a partial smile as she wiped away the strays. "I will be." She took in a deep breath. "Did you need something?"

Rey gestured behind her. "BB-8 was wanting you but still needs to continue charging, so I told him I'd get you, and I was wondering if I could help with anything. I don't know much about what shouldn't be touched while in hyperspace, but I still know my way around."

Han waved her inside the room. "Yeah, you ever work on a sublight engine?" He gestured with his head for Karena to go check on the droid, a small, reassuring smile just for her. Karena mouthed 'thank you' at him and moved around Rey to leave the room.

"A few times."

Karena left the room and went to find where the droids were charging in the secondary hold next to the life support systems. BB-8 whistled when he saw her, and she smiled at him. "Hey, Bee." Karena sat on the floor next to the droid. Gray was sitting powered down on a crate nearby as he charged. "Rey said you wanted me."

 _BB-8 = worried_ , he beeped sadly. _Master =/= here_. _BB-8 = wants Master_.

She rubbed his head. "I know, buddy. I'm sorry. I wish Poe was here, too." She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "He would have everyone laughing and smiling. He was always good at that. You're welcome with Gray and me if you'd like. I know we're not Poe, but. . ." BB-8 rolled closer to her, the charger cable adjusting to the change, and he leaned on her arm. "We'll finish what he started, okay? He'd want that." BB-8 beeped in agreement.

They would figure out what to do after that. They had a mission to complete first. For Poe.


End file.
